Border Shutdown Proposal Sparks Debate Ahead of Presidential Elections

Border Shutdown

Local Leaders Meet with Biden Administration on Potential Border Shutdown

This Tuesday, local leaders Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza and McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos were invited to the White House to discuss a potential executive order by President Biden that could lead to an immediate shutdown of the U.S.-Mexico border. This measure is reportedly in response to a surge in illegal border crossings and aims to impose stricter limitations on asylum seekers.

According to CNN, the executive order would trigger a shutdown if the number of illegal crossings reaches a record high during any given day. Mayor Javier Villalobos commented, “We know it’s only in response to the failed legislation from this past month. And my understanding, at least, I believe, that the executive order will include a limitation on asylum seekers, on the number of asylum seekers that can cross, that will trigger, you know, a shut down at any specific date.”

The proposal has already sparked significant debate, with critics arguing that it is a strategic move to garner voter support ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Meanwhile, there is new information that the Biden administration is allowing hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to remain in the country, effectively granting them amnesty. This development coincides with ongoing discussions with Mexico to tighten asylum rules.

Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reports that the White House has not yet officially released the plan to shut down the border during illegal crossing surges. However, the proposed threshold is said to mirror a bipartisan border agreement that failed in the Senate earlier this year. This proposal is also reminiscent of a ban attempted by former President Trump, which was overturned by the courts for violating federal asylum laws.

Critics, including retired Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem, question the timing of the measure. “Why are we waiting five months from the election? Why wasn’t this done five months into this administration when we were seeing all these problems?” Clem asked. He also expressed concern over the administration’s handling of asylum cases, stating, “That’s going to encourage more people to show up. And for an administration that claims this is a humanitarian effort, you just created a whole population that has no status, nowhere to go.”

The Biden administration’s approach has not been without its supporters. Some Democrats urge President Biden to highlight the contrast between himself and former President Trump, particularly in light of Trump’s recent legal troubles. California Congressman Adam Schiff remarked, “You can only imagine if the situation was reversed, they would be going after Joe Biden with a vengeance.”

In a related development, the administration reportedly allowed 350,000 migrants with pending asylum claims to remain in the U.S. without a decision on their case merits. According to the New York Post, ICE lawyers instructed prosecutors in 2022 to dismiss pending asylum cases for migrants who do not pose a security threat and have no criminal record. Data from Syracuse University indicates that these directives have been followed.

Tom Homan, former acting ICE director, criticized this approach, citing immigration court data showing that nine out of ten asylum claims at the border are unsuccessful. “You might as well shut down the immigration court. Take the Border Patrol at the border and there’s going to be no consequences,” Homan asserted.

As the debate continues, the Biden administration has remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the proposed executive order. The president spent the day at his Wilmington home, where he reportedly made a congratulatory call to the new Mexican president-elect.

The forthcoming announcement on border policy is eagerly awaited, with both supporters and detractors keen to see how the administration will address the complex issues surrounding immigration and border security.

URLs

• Edinburg City Government
• McAllen City Government
• Fox News
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security