A girl from Honduras holds a sign during a demonstration demanding that U.S. President Joe Biden let her in and more clarity on U.S. immigration policy at the San Ysidro crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, March 2, 2021.
After President Joe Biden described the surge in the number of foreign minor children arriving at the southern border seeking asylum as a “crisis,” the White House denied it again Monday (April 19).
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters who asked questions, “The president does not feel that coming to our border in hopes of seeking asylum from violence, economic hardship and other harsh circumstances is a crisis.”
“He does feel that the crisis in Central America – the immediate circumstances that allow people to flee there – is something that we need to spend time and energy on; and if we’re going to prevent an influx of more migrants in the coming years, we need to address this issue.” She added.
For months, U.S. officials have struggled to avoid using the word “crisis” as they try to downplay the impact of the influx.
But on Saturday (17), after playing a round of golf at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware, Biden was asked about those issues and the U.S. cap on refugee admissions.
“We’re going to increase the number (of refugees admitted to the cap),” he said. “The problem is that the refugee side is struggling with the crisis of young people (stranded) at the border, and we can’t do both at the same time. Now we have to increase the number (of refugees admitted on line).”
Border issues have dominated Biden’s first few weeks in office. Officials have revealed that more than 14,000 unaccompanied Central American illegal children were detained in March.
Republicans say the surge of illegal children at the border is the result of Biden’s campaign promise to undo former President Donald Trump’s (R-Texas) hard-line immigration policies.
As a result, administration officials have gone out of their way to describe the surge as a “challenge” rather than a crisis.
I know we always get into the labeling game here, but I would say our focus is on solutions,” White House spokesman Leonardo Psaki said Monday. The president believes that this is one of the steps that will help speed up processing and help ensure that people who cross the border (refugees) have access to health and medical care, but it can’t be a step toward a final solution.”
Sen. Bill Hagerty, a federal Republican from Tennessee, tweeted, “Biden finally agrees this is a crisis, but his administration remains in denial. This administration needs to face reality, protect the border and govern by law.”
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