One of his first official acts was to halt construction of the border fence, which his predecessor Donald Trump had led as one of the most important projects. Now US President Joe Biden has traveled to the southern United States border for the first time in nearly two years to review the extremely tense situation on the ground. The situation on the US-Mexico border has deteriorated recently. Between October 2021 and October 2022, the US Border Protection Agency recorded more than two million attempts by people to enter the United States. The reception for Biden was therefore cool.
Thousands of migrants are currently waiting at the US border, hoping for a chance to enter the country. The US Supreme Court recently ruled that the controversial Title 42 directive should remain in force for the time being. The regulation stipulates that most undocumented migrants are immediately rejected at the border without even being able to apply for asylum. This should initially contain the spread of the corona pandemic. Meanwhile, politicians and authorities in the US mainly fear a sharp increase in migration if the directive is withdrawn.
Migrant buses sent to Washington
The border authorities are already overwhelmed by the attack and lack the necessary resources to properly care for the new arrivals. In recent months, the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona have bussed migrants into Democratic-led metropolitan areas of the United States. The Republicans wanted to relieve their own infrastructure while putting pressure on the Washington government to push for stricter immigration policies.
During his several-hour visit Sunday in the city of El Paso, Biden met border officials and walked along the border wall with Mexico. The Democrat was greeted rather coldly by Texas Governor Greg Abbott at the border town’s airport. The Republican handed Biden a letter in which he seriously accused the government. The visit comes two years too late, Biden’s “failure” is responsible for the “chaos” at the border. El Paso had recently become a focal point of migration to the United States – the situation had deteriorated dramatically by December.
Governor to Biden: ‘Your policy has fostered cartels’
Abbott made public the letter he had given to Biden immediately afterwards. “Their open borders policy has emboldened the cartels that get rich from the trade in deadly fentanyl and even people,” it said. The US experienced “the worst illegal immigration” in the country’s history. The Texans would pay a particularly high price for this. In El Paso, migrant camps were evacuated specifically for Biden’s visit, Abbott said. The Republican demanded that construction of the border wall in Texas be resumed immediately.
Given the dramatic situation and ongoing criticism, Biden had recently launched a new effort to curb illegal immigration to the US and announced new rules. Under the law, up to 30,000 migrants per month from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti can legally enter the US under certain conditions. In return, 30,000 illegal immigrants from these countries will be deported to Mexico every month.
The Mexican president, to whom Biden went after his flying visit to El Paso, supports the new American initiative. A bilateral meeting between the two heads of state was scheduled for Monday. The topic of migration will likely be at the center of the talks. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet before the North American summit on Tuesday.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
