The President of the United States, Joe Biden, reaffirmed this Saturday his intention to close “the border” with Mexico if Congress gives him the authority to do so through the approval of a legislative project negotiated by Democratic and Republican senators in recent weeks. .
“If that bill were to pass into law, it would close the border right now,” Biden said in a speech at a Democratic Party dinner in South Carolina, a state that will begin the Democratic primary process for the presidential election on February 3. .
Biden expressed support for the initiative that senators from both parties have been negotiating for weeks and which he described as “the toughest and smartest border security project in history.”
The president first expressed his intention to “close the border” in a statement released by the White House last night. However, this was the first time he expressed this publicly in front of television cameras.
These statements represent a significant change not only in Biden’s tone, but also in the Democratic Party’s traditional position on immigration, and they also reflect the importance the issue has gained for his re-election campaign.
Former President Donald Trump (2017-2021), the Republican Party’s favorite candidate, is focusing the largest of his rallies on migration and has made it clear he plans to use that issue against Biden.
According to The Washington Post, when Biden talks about “closing the border,” he is referring to a clause included in the legislative project that would allow migrants to be deported if there are more than 5,000 arrests at the border over an average of five days. border with Mexico.
Under this clause, most migrants who cross the border illegally would not be able to apply for asylum, according to The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the project’s text.
During that period, migrants could apply for asylum at ports of entry, but with a limited number of places available.
The measure would allow the expulsion of migrants indefinitely until the number of apprehensions at the border with Mexico falls to fewer than 3,750 per day, the newspaper said.
The text of the legislative project is not yet public, but senators have said they hope to release it next week.
The Senate, under Democratic control, has shown willingness to approve the project. However, Republicans in the House of Representatives, where they have the majority, have already expressed their rejection and, furthermore, Trump has asked them to reject any compromise with the Democrats.
The border agreement is part of a broader package of measures being negotiated in Congress.
This package includes new aid funds for Ukraine and Israel, issues that are a priority for Biden and for which he already sought approval from Congress in October.
However, Republicans have refused to approve such aid unless changes are made to the asylum and immigration system, which has led both Biden and members of Congress to the current situation.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
