Biden accuses GOP of scoring ‘political points’ for immigration as border guards hit new high

President Biden on Friday lambasted Republicans for allegedly trying to score “political points” on immigration and for refusing to sign his first day immigration proposal — just as migrant encounters were shown to have reached an all-time high in December.

Biden spoke at the winter meeting of the US Conference of Mayors, where he spoke about the ongoing border crisis, which has affected not only border communities, but also cities across the country, where tens of thousands of migrants have been taken.

Biden acknowledged that “immigration is another major issue affecting many of your communities, especially border and nearby communities.”

Republicans have placed the blame on the Biden administration’s policies that have eroded Trump-era border security policies and included shrinking domestic law and order. The Biden administration highlighted its efforts to expand anti-smuggling campaigns, cooperate in the Western Hemisphere, and expand legal pathways as part of a broader approach that includes addressing “root causes” in Central America.

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION ENCOUNTERS WITH MIGRANTS IN DECEMBER ONLY, CBP CONFIRMS

President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House to mayors who attend the Winter Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington, Friday, January 20, 2023.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Most recently, Biden himself visited the border in El Paso, and before that he unveiled a series of new border measures that his administration says are already having an effect. They include an expanded parole program that now includes Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans, and Haitians, combined with Section 42 removal for those nationalities.

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security issued a rule barring migrants from seeking asylum if they passed through the country without first seeking asylum, drawing criticism from groups on the left.

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Biden, however, said the steps alone were not enough to resolve the crisis, which he said could only be resolved by Congress passing a sweeping immigration reform bill that was unveiled on his first day in office. Republicans have refused to support the bill, primarily because it provides a path to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants already in the country.

“I will continue to urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform to fix the system,” he told mayors before reducing Republican opposition to the bill to political expediency.

Migrants stand near the US-Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Monday, December 19, 2022.
(AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

“The first bill I introduced was a comprehensive immigration law reform. But because of some in Congress, they refused to consider it. They felt it was better to campaign than to resolve the issue,” he said.

The President again tried to put the ball on the side of the Republicans on this issue.

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“So we have a choice: they can continue to use immigration to try to score political points, or we can help solve the problem. Immigration reform used to be a bipartisan issue. And, in my opinion, we can do it again,” he said.

Republicans, however, have not shown any significant support for an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Instead, Republicans in the House of Representatives expect closer scrutiny of the administration’s handling of the crisis, as well as the possible impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas.

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Hours after the president’s speech, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that more than 251,000 migrant encounters were recorded at the southern border in December, up from 179,253 in December 2021 and 73,994 in December 2020. This new record is likely to fuel ongoing Republican criticism of the administration’s policies.