Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) stated Sunday that President Joe Biden is using what is available to him to do “as much as he can” to secure the border, accusing Republican lawmakers of delaying this security.
Warren contended that to address the border, the United States needs to do more than secure the border, such as financial support for cities housing migrants, in addition to providing pathways to citizenship to migrants who are in the country. She added that the only way to accomplish these needs is through Congress, arguing that Congress has stalled on this.
“Right now, Joe Biden is using the tools available to him to try to do as much as he can, but keep in mind, there was a deal that had been hammered out,” Warren said. “In my view, it only had part of what was necessary, but it was a bipartisan deal. And we were just two days short of voting on it when Donald Trump said ‘no,’ and the Republicans walked away.”
Warren was then asked about data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which stated that there were just over two million apprehensions at the border during former President Donald Trump’s presidency, compared to the roughly 6.9 million during Biden’s. When asked about what led to this increase, Warren contended that Biden asked Congress for the resources and comprehensive immigration reform on his first day in office, claiming that Republicans blocked this.
“Until last fall, the president tries to deal with a problem that is presented to him,” Warren said. “He can’t deal with it if Congress and the Republicans continue to block him.”
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The topic of immigration and border security is set to be a major focus ahead of the 2024 elections, which could see a rematch between Biden and Trump. Last year, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) argued that immigration is arguably the Biden administration’s “weakest issue.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has suggested that Biden could be prosecuted for his handling of the crisis at the border, stating that Biden “better hope and pray there’s presidential immunity.” The senator’s comment was in reference to Trump arguing that presidents ought to receive immunity from criminal indictments, with the Supreme Court set to provide an answer to this before the end of the month.
