The White House struggled to respond on Thursday as it was working to dispel the belief among migrants that the border with the United States is open, shifting the focus to the government’s “moral and human” immigration policy amid an almost 100% increase in illegal crossings.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki became involved with two reporters earlier this week that the United States is rejecting the “vast majority” of migrants on the southern border.
After being pressured over Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador saying this week that migrants believed that borders were opened under President Biden, Psaki admitted that what she was saying “is not, I think, what you might be seeing if you’re looking at part of the border, but what they’re tracking in terms of numbers and data. ”
Psaki continued to reiterate that the Biden government is sending the message that “it is not the time to come”, but that, eventually, migrants will be prosecuted in a “moral and humane” way.
“We continue to convey that this is not the time to come [to the United States]. The president is committed to implementing, in partnership with our Department of Homeland Security, a moral and humane process to prosecute people at the border, but that capacity is currently limited and that means that we are simply not equipped to prosecute people at the rate we would like. “
Asked how the Biden government planned to make it clear to migrants that the border was not open, Psaki avoided addressing the issue directly.
“Well, we are looking for every opportunity we can, of course, from the president to the secretary of homeland security and the secretary of state, to communicate where we are,” the White House press secretary told those present. “What is it that the president, our entire administration, is committed to unearthing the immoral approach to immigration from the previous administration.”
While maintaining the White House’s commitment to avoid an “immoral approach” to immigration, Psaki warned that the team was not yet ready with a concrete plan to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
“It will take some time and we need to put in place not only a comprehensive approach to immigration, passing a law that helps address the root causes in countries that are leading people to try to come to the United States, which finance smart security in border, which provides a path to citizenship.
“But we also need some time to review all the harmful measures that have been implemented by the previous administration.”
The Biden government has been facing new peaks of more than 200% in illegal border crossings since last year and has just opened another tent city to detain illegal immigrants in Texas.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed in a report on Wednesday that the number of migrants seized at the border in January reached almost 78,000, compared with 36,679 in January 2020.
Single adult Mexican citizens were responsible for more than 37,000 CBP meetings, an increase of 119% over last year, according to the agency.
Amid the sudden increase, a new “flexible siding facility” was established this week by the agency in Donna, Texas, to house individuals who were originally staying at the Centralized Processing Center in McAllen, Texas.
Questioned again on the subject, Psaki reread his statement that “most people who come to the border are rejected” before they notice, “and we are applying our laws at the border, but we are also doing or trying to do it, in a way human. ”
Psaki continued to state again, “This is not the time to come.”
“When long-term retention solutions are not possible due to Covid-19’s capacity limitations or other reasons, some migrants are sued for removal, as long as a notice appears and wait within the U.S. to await an immigration hearing. . These were incredibly narrow and limited circumstances that happened recently. “