Democratic leaders are meeting to defend President biden
Joe BidenPentagon is criticized for extending Guard time at the Capitol Booker to try to make the expansion of child tax credit permanent Sullivan says tariffs will not occupy the center of negotiations with China MOREaddressing the increase in migrants on the southern border, where the detention of thousands of children threatened to unleash a humanitarian crisis – and undermine Democratic promises to face the dilemma with more compassion than before President Trump
Donald TrumpPentagon gets criticized for extending Guard time at the Capitol Fundraising points to Trump-GOP cracks Trump’s rally organizer says Alex Jones threatened to take her off the stage: report MORE.
The issue is thorny for Democrats, who have spent the past four years criticizing the Trump administration’s approach to border arrivals, which included a particularly controversial policy of separating children from their parents to prevent Central American families from migrating.
Although Biden has drastically distanced himself from these draconian practices, the sheer volume of newcomers – many of them unaccompanied children – has placed profound pressure on the border authorities’ ability to prosecute detainees and transfer them to safer and healthier facilities – a complicated by social distancing protocols adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.
A recent CNN Exhibition described these detention centers, supervised by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as “similar to prison cells and not intended for children”.
Still, Democratic leaders are playing down the nascent crisis and uniting around Biden, expressing confidence that their ally in the White House will prioritize children’s well-being while facing the growing emergency.
“It will be nothing like what we saw in the Trump administration, of babies being pulled out of their parents’ arms,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiPelosi launches debate on infrastructure, calling for bipartisanship Biden celebrates relief bill with Democratic leaders, leader of the Republican Party, to try to get Swalwell out of the panel MORE (D-Calif.) Said Thursday during a press conference. “I believe that the policy of the Biden government is based on humanitarian issues[ism] and love for children, rather than political points or red meat for their Republican base. “
Under current law, migrant children detained at the border must remain in custody of CBP for a maximum of 72 hours before being transferred to facilities supervised by the Refugee Resettlement Office, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Congressman Peter Aguilar (California), vice president of Democratic Caucus, said that party leaders are watching the administration closely to ensure that these guidelines are followed.
“There is a process for that. The Biden government will move towards this process and we will hold them accountable, as we did under the previous government, to ensure that they are complying with the law, ”Aguilar told reporters this week. “But this is a process that is rooted in compassion. And that is the difference between the previous administration and this administration. “
The increase in border arrivals highlighted the challenge faced by border officials, even when they have the most human intentions.
In February alone, CBP officials found more than 100,000 migrants trying to cross into southwestern states – an increase of 28 percent over the previous month and almost three times the number in February 2020.
Of these, almost 9,500 were unaccompanied minors, an increase of 61 percent over January. And agency documents unearthed by both CNN and The New York Times have revealed that, on average, these children are being held in CBP custody for longer than the 72-hour time limit provided by law.
Government officials have sought to stem the rising tide by discouraging Central American migrants from making the long journey north.
“The border is not open,” said Roberta Jacobson, Biden’s southern border coordinator, dryly at the White House on Wednesday.
However, Jacobson also acknowledged that the government’s milder immigration policies – which include proposals to extend citizenship to millions of people living illegally in the country – have probably encouraged the recent increase in migrants.
“Emergencies tend to respond to hope, and there was significant hope for a more humane policy after four years of, you know, pent-up demand,” she said.
Events have not been overlooked by Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have launched a media campaign to highlight the growing border crisis – and the struggles of Democrats to tackle it.
The Republican Party’s strategy is reminiscent of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and his hardline and hawkish views on border issues helped propel him to the White House in 2016. Congressional Republicans are now reliving aspects of the handbook. Trump in his attempt to win back the House and Senate in the 2022 race.
“Biden created a border crisis that he doesn’t admit; 100,000 illegal immigrants were found last month. Put that in perspective. This is bigger than our president Biden’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, hometown, and now it’s only growing month after month, ”Leader of the House minority Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthyGOP, leader of the GOP, will try to force Swalwell out of the Biden panel to rescind Trump’s order on prosecuting young Democratic House Democrats open to making proxy voting the ‘new normal’ MORE (R-Calif.), Who requested a meeting with Biden on the border, said Friday on Fox News.
Biden “destroys a border wall, but places it around the Capitol”.
On Monday, McCarthy will lead a delegation of a dozen House Republicans on a tour of the border and a migrant processing center in El Paso, Texas. The group includes a handful of Republicans from undecided districts like Reps. Yvette Harrell (NM), Maria Salazar (Florida), Carlos Jimenez (Florida), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa) and Tony Gonzales (Texas).
The planned visit follows a press conference outside the Capitol this week, where about 40 House Republicans attacked what they call the “Biden border crisis”. Sometimes lawmakers seemed to be competing to see who else spoke Biden’s name.
“You have thousands of people crossing illegally to the United States every day. Border states are being invaded. It is a drain on your resources. There are super spreading caravans coming in, ”Minority Whip Steve Scalise
Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseNo Republicans Back .9T COVID-19 Relief Bill Leading Republicans seek to contain concerns about Trump’s funding demands 57 Republicans take the floor in an attempt to reopen schools MORE (R-La.) He said. “And all of this was done by President Biden, and President Biden can resolve and reverse that policy … We are asking President Biden to reverse his policy that created this crisis at the Biden border.”
New York representative added John Katko
John Michael KatkoHillicon Valley: Lawmakers draft bill to protect critical infrastructure after Florida water hacking | Clyburn and Klobuchar push billions to address digital divide | Uber and Lyft will share information about drivers banned by ‘more serious’ security incidents. Lawmakers launch bill to protect critical infrastructure after water hacking in Florida Pro-union bill passes House, creating Senate lobbying battle MORE, the main Republican on the Internal Security Committee: “It is disorder at the border by executive order, to channel Dr. Seuss.”
But Rep. Mark Takano
Mark Allan TakanoK Street navigates virtual opening week Hoyer asks VA Secretary Wilkie to resign after watchdog report Pelosi asks Wilkie to resign from VA after watchdog report findings MORE (D-Calif.), Which represents a largely Hispanic district in Riverside County, argued that the Republican Party’s “reflective, nativist and anti-immigrant sentiment” is detrimental to the United States economy.
“If you suddenly got rid of 8 million people, our economy would contract significantly,” Takano told The Hill, as Republicans criticized Biden’s immigration policies just a few steps away at his news conference.
“Why a path to citizenship? Well, that means your Social Security is more solid, which means that Medicare has a solid foundation. This is an argument that every American, I think, can appreciate … We have to acknowledge the contribution that [immigrants] they make to the economic dynamism that they provide to our society. “
Biden is well aware of the issue of increases at the border. As vice president of former President Obama, he focused on federal efforts improve conditions in the so-called North Triangle countries of Central America – Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador – from which the majority of migrants come. The idea is that by helping these nations to reduce corruption and fight poverty, fewer residents will want to leave – a strategy that will be included in a comprehensive immigration reform package being developed by the Rep. Linda Sanchez
Linda Teresa SánchezDemocrats debate accelerating infrastructure package Biden’s immigration bill has problems – many of them Privacy, immigrant rights groups criticize Biden’s ‘smart wall’ proposal MORE (D-Calif.) And other members of Hispanic Caucus.
“You don’t solve this until you deal with the issues in the North Triangle,” said Aguilar.
As they work to finalize their comprehensive reform package, House Democrats are running ahead with their immigration agenda, scheduling votes next week on a couple of bills that provide a path to citizenship for migrant rural workers, immigrants with temporary protection status and the Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children.