Too Little, Too Late? Biden Visits Southern Border

(UnitedVoice.com) – President Joe Biden has taken a lot of heat in the last two years over how he has handled (or mishandled) immigration. When he took office, he immediately reversed many of former President Donald Trump’s strict policies, clearing the way for more migrants to come to the US. Since then, millions of immigrants have crossed the border into the country.

Republicans have repeatedly called on the president to visit the border to take a firsthand look at what’s happening there. However, Biden failed to do so until recently — but critics still don’t think it was good enough.

Biden Visits Border

On Sunday, January 8, Biden made his first visit to the southern border at a busy crossing in El Paso, Texas. According to reports, the president’s trip was tightly controlled. He spent several hours at that particular crossing, speaking to Border Patrol about personnel issues. Even though he went to an immigration respite center, El Paso County Migrant Services Center, reports indicated he didn’t speak to any migrants.

An administration official told CNN that Biden couldn’t speak to any immigrants because none arrived on the border while the president was there. “Completely coincidental,” the official reportedly said. He didn’t bother to visit a Border Patrol station where agents hold migrants after they illegally cross into the US.

The president also traveled to a street separating El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The Mexican city was recently the site of a deadly attack on a prison. Gunmen in armored vehicles arrived at the prison on January 1 and began firing. During the attack, 25 prisoners escaped, and 17 died, including 10 guards.

The president made no public remarks while he visited the US-Mexico border.

Bipartisan Outrage

As expected, Republicans expressed outrage over Biden’s late visit to the southern frontier. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) handed the commander-in-chief a letter when he touched down in the state. According to the Associated Press, the correspondence blamed the president for the “chaos” at the border, saying it was a “direct result” of his refusal to enforce the laws already on the books.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) attacked the president’s trip, calling it a “photo-op.” He added that the GOP would punish Biden for creating the “dangerous” crisis.

Biden is making his first border visit of his life—a photo op—while pushing for amnesty for millions of immigrants who have crossed into the US illegally.

House Republicans will hold him and Mayorkas accountable for creating the most dangerous border crisis in American history.

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 8, 2023

The New York Times reported the POTUS also faced criticism from the Left for a new immigration enforcement policy they have called a “humanitarian disgrace.”