U.S. President Joe Biden on March 24 assigned Vice President He Jinli to address the immigration crisis at the border.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday (March 24) assigned Vice President He Jinli to address the surge of illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border. Federal immigration authorities are now overwhelmed. Congressional Democrats and Republicans have warned that a humanitarian crisis is erupting as more and more illegal immigrant children try to enter the United States.
“I can’t think of anyone more qualified to do this than she (Hejenly).” Biden said at the White House, “When she speaks, she speaks for me.”
It was the first assignment Biden publicly gave to Hejinli.
Bloomberg quoted a senior administration official as saying that Hejinli’s goal for this assignment will be twofold; she will develop a strategy to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and build better relations with Mexico as well as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Most illegal immigrants come from those countries. She is expected to meet with the leaders of those countries in the coming weeks.
“There’s no question that this is a challenging situation.” Hejinli said, “While we are well aware that people should not be coming to the border right now, we also understand that we will enforce the law.”
Surge in illegal immigrants overwhelms reception facilities
There is little the Biden Administration can do in the short term to stop the influx of unaccompanied children and teens into the United States, and the government is rushing to create more facilities to house them, but images of children and teens huddled together in border facilities due to overwhelming numbers have drawn national attention and increased concern about Biden’s handling of the situation.
According to official U.S. data, there are more than 15,000 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children in the custody of the U.S. Department of health and Human Services (HHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities. By law, apprehended children may not be detained at CBP for more than 72 hours before being transferred to an HHS shelter.
As a result, the U.S. government has reopened the emergency site in Carrizo Springs, Texas, and is exploring other options, including placing the children, who are here illegally, on military bases. The Defense Department said Tuesday (March 23) that it has received a request from HHS to temporarily house the children at Joint Base San Antonio and Fort Bliss military bases in Texas. About 1,500 illegal immigrant youths were brought to the Dallas Convention Center.
Republicans and White House push each other on who to blame for border crisis
Republicans argue that the current U.S. border crisis is due to Biden’s campaign rhetoric and his overturning of Trump‘s (Trump) tough border measures after taking office. Biden has promised to provide Amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said last week that “the border crisis is a direct result of the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies.” He also said that the Biden administration’s return to a “catch and release” policy, its policy of stopping the construction of the border wall and its policy of keeping illegal immigrants in Mexico, all contributed to the current situation.
The White House pushed back on those claims, saying the flow of illegal immigrants began during the Trump presidency and was also largely driven by economic struggles and insecurity in the Central American country.
Biden also stressed Wednesday that the surge in illegal immigration began under the Trump Administration.
“This new surge that we’re dealing with now started with the last administration, but it’s our responsibility (to deal with the surge in immigration).” Biden said.
A week before Biden took office Jan. 20, a caravan of thousands of illegal Honduran immigrants began trying to break through the barriers of countries in their path and push toward the United States. One member of the caravan of illegal immigrants who left Honduras on Jan. 15 told The Hill that he was going to the United States because incoming President Joe Biden “gave us 100 days to get there.
He appeared to be referring to one of Biden’s previous promises to ask U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend deportations of illegal immigrants for 100 days.
“To get to the United States because they’re going to have a new president.” The Honduran immigrant interviewed said, “He (Biden) is going to help all of us, and he’s giving us 100 days to go to the United States, to get legal status, to make a better Life for our children and our families.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Texas) on Jan. 17 denounced Biden’s campaign promises as having sparked this massive wave of illegal immigration. “During the presidential debates, Joe Biden promised mass amnesty, and the rest of the world took notice (of Biden’s promise).”
Mexican President: Biden Responsible for Wave of Illegal Immigrants
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday (March 23) that Biden is to blame for the surge in illegal immigration at the border. He said Biden created certain “expectations” for these people that ultimately fueled the influx of illegal immigrants.
According to Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol apprehended 100,441 illegal border crossers at the southern border in February, a 28 percent increase from January.
“Expectations have arisen that President Biden’s administration will treat (illegal) immigrants better. This has caused migrants from Central America, and from our country, to want to cross the border, thinking it’s easier to do so.” The Mexican president said.
This is not the first Time a Mexican president has criticized Biden’s immigration policies. Obrador said in early March that illegal immigrants see Biden “as the immigration president, and many feel they will reach the United States.
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