A Change of Course
Source: The New York Times. The Morning. February 26, 2024
A change of course, President Biden has acknowledged that the increase in undocumented immigration during his tenure poses a threat to his reelection. He is aware that the majority of voters, as well as mayors and governors, are dissatisfied with this surge, especially in places like Denver, which was the subject of a recent story in The Times.
To reduce his political vulnerability, Biden and his advisers have chosen a strategy that involves reminding voters that congressional Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill this month that would have strengthened border security. Although many Republicans supported the policies in the bill, they defeated it at Donald Trump’s behest, largely to avoid resolving an issue that has politically harmed Biden.
Given the openly partisan nature of the Republican decision, it is understandable that Biden would highlight it during his campaign. However, it would be surprising if he could eliminate his immigration vulnerability solely by criticizing Republican intransigence.
Why?
After all, Biden is the president, and a president has significant authority to shape immigration policy even without new legislation. Biden has been aggressive in using this authority to loosen immigration policy rather than tighten it. In his early months in office, he expanded asylum, halted deportations, and expanded parole, using the latter beyond what the law suggests.
These policies, combined with Biden’s welcoming rhetoric during the 2020 campaign, contributed to the increase in migration, according to analysts like John Judis of The Times and David Ignatius in a Washington Post column. These changes signaled to migrants that their chances of entering and staying in the United States had increased.
You could also read: “A newly proposed bill would eliminate the rights of asylum seekers“
As for Biden’s current policy, although administration officials have tried to downplay or even deny the contribution of their policies to the increase in migration, their recent actions suggest that they may not fully believe in their own denials. The administration is now considering policies to reverse some of the initial easing of immigration rules, such as restricting people’s ability to apply for asylum if they entered the United States illegally.
It is essential
to consider three elements of context. First, recent history indicates that a president’s immigration policies are impactful enough to affect migration. Second, if Biden acts to restrict migration, he is likely to face legal challenges from advocates of a more open immigration policy. Finally, although Republicans claim that Biden can do whatever he wants at the border, the reality is that the president does not have complete autonomy, and policies passed by Congress are also crucial for addressing long-term immigration issues.
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