Top Democrats turn on Biden over Trump-style asylum limits

Top Democrats have turned on Joe Biden over his sweeping order to stop migrants at the United States border, likening the measure to the policies of Donald Trump.

The US president issued an executive order on Tuesday that bars migrants from seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border when illegal crossings exceed 2,500 per day for seven days.

The measure, the most restrictive border policy introduced by any modern Democrat, is intended to address the country’s immigration crisis, a key concern among voters ahead of the November election.

The move comes weeks before the first presidential debate in which Mr Biden will likely be attacked on the border crisis by his rival Trump.

Mr Biden had previously said he had done all he could on the border and called on Congress to pass new laws to address the situation.

The White House explored additional actions after a bipartisan border deal fell apart when Republicans blocked the bill at the behest of Trump.

But key players from within Mr Biden’s own party denounced the move as “a return to the same policies that were proven to fail in the Trump administration.”

Addressing his critics in a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Biden said: “For those who say the steps I’ve taken are too strict, I say to you: be patient”.

He said that “goodwilled American people are... wearing thin right now”, adding: “Doing nothing is not an option.”

Mr Biden also criticised Trump and the GOP’s “extremely cynical political move” to get Republicans to vote against the bipartisan border bill, saying: “The border is not a political issue to be weaponised.”

He added that Republicans “have left me no choice” and he is seeking to “do what I can on my own to address the border” and “gain control”.

The new order allows border officers to return migrants across the Mexican border or to their home countries within hours or days when the number of border encounters between ports of entry hits a seven-day average of 2,500.

It means the measure should take effect immediately, because daily averages already exceed that figure. Border authorities encountered around 3,500 migrants crossing the border illegally on Monday, a Homeland Security official told CNN.

Alex Padilla, Democrat Senator, told the broadcaster it was “disappointing to see an attempt to return to the same policies that were proven to fail in the Trump administration.”

Bennie Thompson, a Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, also criticised the policy.

While Mr Thompson said the president had been acting in the face of “cynical” Republicans who blocked legislation, he criticised the impact on “vulnerable people coming to the United States for safety and protection”.

He called on Republicans to work with Democrats to “pass real, lasting solutions to strengthen border security”.

Meanwhile, Pramila Jayapal, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair, said the move was “very, very disappointing”, adding: “We should be distinguishing ourselves from Donald Trump on immigration”.

‘Weak’ and ‘pathetic’

The Right of the GOP, led by Trump, was also quick to lambast Mr Biden’s order.

The Republican nominee denounced the policy as “weak” and “pathetic” and said it would “make the invasion worse”.

He accused Mr Biden of “pretending to finally do something about the border… because he knows we have a debate coming up in three weeks.”

In a joint statement, Mike Johnson, House Speaker; Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader; Tom Emmer, Majority Whip and Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference Chair, called the move a “desperate political stunt to try and stabilise his [Mr Biden’s] plummeting poll numbers.”

Under the order, border restrictions would remain in effect until two weeks after the daily encounter numbers are at or below 1,500 per day between ports of entry.

There are some exceptions to Mr Biden’s block on asylum seekers, such as unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking and those who present an acute medical emergency or an imminent and extreme threat to life and safety.

The Biden administration already has an agreement with Mexico in which the Central American country agrees to accept up to 30,000 citizens a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela once they are denied entry from the United States.