President Joe Biden faced backlash online on Saturday after he said he would not call the situation at the southern border a “crisis.”
Biden continues to face bipartisan criticism over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border as the country continues to experience a high number of migrant border crossings. There were more than 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2023 fiscal year, up from roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Republicans say the uptick in migrants is a direct result of Biden’s border policies, which they say incentivize illegal immigration. Other experts, however, say other factors including political and financial instability in some Central American countries drive migration to the U.S.
In addition, many of these migrants have been bused from Texas to Democratic-controlled “sanctuary cities,” which protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, sparking a new wave of Democratic criticism as Biden seeks to quell concerns about immigration ahead of the 2024 election.
On Saturday while speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn, the president was asked if he would call the situation at the southern border a “crisis”
No, but I wish they would react. I’ve been pushing them—my Republican colleagues— since I got into office. I think we have to make major changes at the border. I’ve been pushing it. I’m prepared to make significant alterations at the border. And there are negotiations going on for the last five weeks, so I’m hopeful we’ll get there,” Biden responded.
Read more at Newsweek.com
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