Biden’s Latest Immigration Plan Won’t Resolve Border Crisis, Critics Say
District of Columbia | July 30, 2021
The immigration crisis has been a thorn in the side of President Joe Biden, and the administration’s latest plan to tackle the issue is facing pushback.
Critics are taking aim at Biden’s latest proposal after months of federal data show illegal immigration has only grown worse. In the proposal released this week, Biden pledged an “expedited removal process for those who arrive at the border,” and faster processing for those seeking asylum.
The plan also calls for strengthening relationships with Latin American countries to prevent migrants from reaching the border in the first place.
“We will always be a nation of borders, and we will enforce our immigration laws in a way that is fair and just,” the White House said in a statement. “We will continue to work to fortify an orderly immigration system.”
Notably, Biden emphasized his previously released budget, which removes funding away from the border wall, his predecessor’s signature immigration policy.
“Since fiscal year 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) discretionary budget has grown from $9.9 billion to $15 billion in FY 2021,” the White House said. “The President’s Budget redirects resources from a needless border wall to make robust investments in smarter border security measures, like border technology and modernization of land ports of entry, that are proven to be more effective at improving safety and security at the border.”
The plan comes after months of troubling federal immigration data. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported encountering nearly 190,000 illegal immigrants trying to enter the country in the month of June alone, a 5% increase from the previous month.
“We are in the hottest part of the summer, and we are seeing a high number of distress calls to CBP from migrants abandoned in treacherous terrain by smugglers with no regard for human life,” CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said. “Although CBP does everything it can to locate and rescue individuals who are lost or distressed, the bottom line is this: the terrain along the border is extreme, the summer heat is severe, and the miles of desert migrants must hike after crossing the border in many areas are unforgiving.”.. (Excerpts from Virginia Star)