President Biden insisted on Wednesday that the increase in migrants on the southern border began under the Trump administration.
“This new outbreak that we are dealing with now started with the last government, but it is our responsibility to deal with it in a humane way,” said Biden as he met with his secretary of Homeland Security, Xavier Becerra, and other immigration advisers.
“There was a serious increase in people going to the southern border, even in the middle of it [the Trump administration]. That’s because there were serious natural disasters “in Latin America, said Biden.
Biden has faced harsh criticism from Republicans, who say the destruction of Trump’s rigid border policies has attracted migrants to the north.
Biden also announced that he was hiring Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the White House’s effort to address the challenges of border migration, adding that Harris was the most qualified person to work with Mexico and Central American nations while trying to limit “serious spikes” in people who try to cross the border illegally.
THE EX-BORDER PATROL OFFICERS WRITE THE CONGRESS LEADERS IN SEARCH OF HELP FOR THE MIGRANT SURGERY
Customs and Border Protection announced that it found more than 100,000 migrants at the border in February, after more than 78,000 in January. According to CBP data, there were 547,816 seizures on the southern border throughout the year 2020. This compares to 178,883 seizures since January 1, 2021.
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The highest level of migration on the border was in May 2019 under President Trump, when more than 130,000 were seized at the border. Trump responded with policies to deter migrants, including the “Stay in Mexico” program, which required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until their claims could be heard.