White House Accuses GOP of Politicizing Border Crisis – In the ongoing debate surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border situation, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has accused Republicans of attempting to turn the issue into a “political stunt.” This statement was made during an interview with Fox News correspondent Hillary Vaughn, where Jean-Pierre emphasized that President Biden is diligently addressing the influx of migrants and doing “everything that he can” to tackle the challenge at hand.
The Accusation of Politicization
When asked whether Biden perceives the border as effectively closed, Jean-Pierre responded, “What I’m saying is that the president, without the help, without the help of Republicans, is doing everything that he can to deal with the border.” She further criticized Republican efforts, referencing a recent move to avert a government shutdown. Jean-Pierre stated, “While Republicans try to push forth a CR to limit – to take away – the federal agents that we see at the border… they’re trying to politicize it and make it worse.”
Jean-Pierre outlined three key actions the Biden administration is taking to address the border crisis. First, she highlighted enforcement efforts, including the deployment of additional troops and federal agents to the border. Since May 12 alone, over 250,000 individuals have been removed or returned.
Secondly, she discussed deterrence, emphasizing the largest expansion of pathways in decades. The administration is making it clear that attempting to cross the border unlawfully will result in prompt removal, a five-year ban on re-entry, and potential criminal prosecution.
Lastly, Jean-Pierre underscored the importance of diplomacy with the region, especially Mexico, acknowledging the regional nature of the unlawful migration issue.
Responses and Perspectives
While the White House defends its approach and accuses Republicans of political motives, this debate continues to be a major topic of discussion, which most Americans appear dissatisfied with. The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border remains a challenge, and various perspectives and proposed solutions are being scrutinized.
What the Experts Told Us: Time to ‘Raise The Bar’ At The Border
Daniel Di Martino, a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Columbia University, whose research focuses on migration, told 19FortyFive that the number of people attempting to “cross the southern border is that there’s a correct perception that if you claim, without any evidence or story, that you’re persecuted in your home country, you will be let into the United States.
Di Martino, who is also a Graduate Fellow with The Manhattan Institute think tank, argued that the US “need to raise the bar for persecution claims at the border before people are let in and we need to more than double the number of immigration judges to deal with millions of pending applications.
“The goal to secure the border should be detaining everyone until their asylum case is decided, and that can only be done if we can reduce the wait time from over 5 years to a couple months.”
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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