Biden’s Disingenuous & Opportunistic Janus Face At The Border
On June 4, President Biden announced he was implementing an executive order to shut down asylum requests at the southern border once the average number of daily encounters between ports of entry exceeds 2,500 people. This suspension will remain in effect until the daily average drops below 1,500 for at least a week.
This aggressive unilateral move is seen by his supporters as Biden's most decisive action on immigration during his term. However, a majority of American voters also see it as disingenuous and politically motivated, more born of political opportunism and insincerity than morality, ethics, and fidelity to the American people.
It marks a duplicitous shift from his earlier policies, reversing several of former President Donald Trump's border security measures.
According to an April 2024 poll conducted at the University of Texas at Austin – by no means a conservative bastion, a mere 11 percent of the voting public approve of Mr. Biden’s immigration and border security policies. 46 percent strongly disapprove, and 21 percent either somewhat disapprove or are indifferent.
A Disingenuous Attempt To Pander For Votes
Senior Biden administration officials confirmed the action, which has been described as the President's most assertive use of executive power concerning immigration. This executive order will take effect immediately, given that the daily encounter numbers have already surpassed the allowable limit. Many with eyes wide open view the timing of this executive order as suspicious, given Biden’s dismal approval numbers on the issue. Immigration and the economy remain key issues for many voters in the upcoming November elections.
Incredulously, Biden stated, "I'm moving past Republican obstruction and using the executive authorities available to me as President to do what I can on my own to address the border." This is a stark reversal from his earlier stance, where he claimed he had no power to secure the border. His administration's recent moves indicate a politically motivated shift towards a tougher stance on immigration, likely influenced by increasing political pressure and the urgent need to address his low polling numbers.
New Rules & Legislative Hurdles
Alongside the executive order, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General will issue an interim final rule to restrict asylum eligibility during periods of elevated border encounters. This rule will apply to those who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization. This decision directly contradicts former now-impeached DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas's testimony before Congress that the border was secure.
The executive action leverages sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration & Nationality Act, prohibiting migrants who cross unlawfully from receiving asylum when high levels of encounters exceed the administration's capacity to deliver timely consequences. This is the same statute former President Donald Trump cited during his term. However, in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the previous administration’s policies (policies that actually worked, by the by), senior Biden administration officials went to great lengths – and deceitfully so – to emphasize that their approach is temporary and specific to unlawful entries.
Exceptions & Pathways
Despite the perception of stringent measures, significant exceptions remain:
Migrants who express a fear of returning to their country or fear of persecution or torture will be referred to a credible fear screening with an asylum officer. This fear level has a wide range of interpretation
Unaccompanied minors are also exempt from these restrictions
The rule does not apply to those who use lawful pathways to enter the United States, such as the CHNV asylum program and the CBP One app, which collectively bring in tens of thousands of people monthly.
The new measures will also apply to migrants from countries beyond the Western hemisphere, including China.
Legislative Background & Political Reactions
The executive order follows failed legislation – which deceitfully included an asylum proposal that led to citizenship – to suspend asylum requests and deny entry to migrants once daily crossings exceeded a certain number. Senior Biden administration officials criticized congressional Republicans for failing to pass the legislation.
Republican Party. Rep. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) expressed the reasoning for his opposition on social media, arguing that the bill would grant citizenship to illegal immigrants and codify controversial programs like catch-and-release and entry via the CBP One app. He further contended that the bill would undermine the power of future presidents to secure the border and establish a minimum number of daily admissions that he deemed unacceptably high.
The Impact of Biden's Immigration Policies
Biden's speech on the new executive order included claims that he had worked since day one to fix the country's "broken" immigration system. This is a blatant and bald-faced misrepresentation tantamount to an outright lie.
Biden ended several of Trump's immigration policies, such as the "stay in Mexico" policy, on his first day in office. As a result, many illegal migrants, including families, were released into the United States to await their asylum claims, a process that takes years. Currently, there are more than 2 million pending immigration court cases.
According to the most recent figures from NumbersUSA.com:
Nearly 1.4 million migrants were released into the US interior in Fiscal Year 2023 alone, with over one million released by the Border Patrol
In 2022, 850,000 visitors overstayed their visas and remained in the country illegally
670,000 aliens entered the country without apprehension
And, in Fiscal Year 2022, over 1 million individuals obtained lawful permanent residence.
Crime & Security Concerns
The administration's approach to immigration and border security has also been criticized for its adverse impact on crime.
As reported by Jennie Taer of The New York Post:
“[A] Venezuelan migrant accused of shooting two NYPD cops during the early hours of Monday morning crossed into the US illegally last year, but the case against him has already been dismissed…
“Bernardo Castro Mata, 19 – who shot one officer in the chest and another in the leg after they attempted to stop his moped in Queens – had a hearing in Chicago on May 6 where an immigration judge closed his case, according to ICE sources.
“The information emerged less than 24 hours after The Post exposed the Biden administration’s dismissal of asylum cases and deportation orders against 350,000 migrants because they didn’t have criminal records or aren’t deemed national security threats.
“Those migrants are also under no obligation to leave the country and are no longer monitored by Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] — making them undocumented.”
Former ICE Chief of Staff and now Director of Investigations at the Center for Immigration Studies, Jon Feere, criticized the administration, stating, "The Biden administration is allowing foreigners to violate our immigration laws at every possible opportunity, with no finality, no real resolution of their cases." He emphasized that the government does not have the capacity to adequately vet the large numbers of people crossing the border.
Data from US Customs & Border Protection revealed alarming trends in 2021:
Illegal immigrants committed 1,178 assault and domestic violence crimes, a more than 400% increase from 2020
Homicide or manslaughter convictions attributed to illegal immigrants rose by 1,900%, from 60 to 1,200
DUI convictions increased by 347%
The illegal possession or trafficking of drugs saw a 453% rise.
Trump’s Response & Broader Implications
Former President Trump, recently convicted of a non-crime in a politically charged case, released a statement condemning Biden's immigration record. He accused Biden of surrendering the southern border and allowing a border invasion:
“Crooked Joe Biden has totally surrendered our Southern Border. His weakness and extremism have resulted in a border invasion like we have never seen before. Other countries have emptied out their prisons, insane asylums, and mental institutions, and sent us drug dealers, human traffickers, and terrorists. Millions of people have poured into our country – and now, after nearly four years of his failed, weak leadership, Crooked Joe Biden is pretending to finally do something about the border – but in fact, it’s all for show.”
Trump's statement underscores the broader political implications of immigration policy.
The Broader Debate On Immigration
Secure borders are critical for maintaining national security, economic stability, and social cohesion. Controlling the flow of people and goods across borders helps prevent the entry of dangerous individuals and illicit materials, safeguarding citizens' safety and security.
Unsecured borders can strain public resources, increase job competition, and contribute to economic instability. This reality is evident in the United States and refugee-receiving nations in the European Union, where the economic impact of uncontrolled immigration is palpable. Additionally, secure borders help maintain social cohesion and preserve a nation's cultural identity, preventing cultural clashes and social tensions.
The Most Egregious Thing
The debate over immigration policy is bathed in politics. Biden's executive order represents a mendacious policy shift in an effort to garner votes prior to the November General Elections. It also raises serious questions about the administration's sincerity in the overall strategy and approach to immigration and border security.
But perhaps the most infuriating aspect of Biden’s Janus face on immigration and border security is that he is blatantly lying in executing this politically opportunistic executive order. That alone should have his 2020 supporters jettisoning him as their candidate in 2024.
Then Democrat voters have been lied to by their elected officials and candidates for so long that I’m not sure they are capable of recognizing either truth from lies; fact from fiction.
Stockholm Syndrome: A psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.