by Mish Shedlock, Mish Talk:
Well, lookie here. Biden is caught in another lie. This time on the border. Under pressure from Democrats, Biden takes executive action on the border.
Biden’s Border Election Gambit
After stating he could not shut the border without Congressional approval, President Biden issues an executive order limiting the number of illegal immigrants who can enter the country.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
The Wall Street Journal comments on Biden’s Border Election Gambit.
More than three years into his Presidency, Joe Biden has discovered the border mess. On Tuesday he announced executive actions that he claims will stem a tidal wave of migrants. This looks like a tactical political retreat masquerading as a battle cry.
Polls show that the border has moved to the top of voter concerns, and a significant majority believe Donald Trump would do a better job handling it. Perhaps because he did. Encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border have nearly tripled since 2019 and they’ve increased more than six-fold since 2018.
Even Democrats who run big cities say they’re overwhelmed by migrants. Yet the Administration until Tuesday ignored their pleas for help while picking a fight with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over his efforts to protect the border.
Thus his executive order on Tuesday that would supposedly block migrants seeking asylum at the southern border when the average number of daily encounters between ports of entry hits 2,500 over a week. The border could reopen once the daily average declines to 1,500. Daily encounters this year have averaged about 6,000.
Mr. Biden’s executive actions might help reduce the flow somewhat if they are strictly enforced, and at least he’s admitting the problem. But the press release sounds better than the details. Migrants could still seek asylum at ports of entry using the CBP One mobile app, which would be excluded from the daily triggers.
During the 2020 campaign, Mr. Biden lambasted Mr. Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, which required asylum seekers to wait south of the border. On his first day in office he rescinded the Trump policy and all but ended border enforcement.
His Administration has also eased its scrutiny in reviewing asylum claims. Over the last three years immigration judges have granted nearly 80% of claims, roughly double the share under Mr. Trump. Most migrants caught at the border are released into the U.S. Many never show up for their eventual hearing.
No doubt Mr. Biden will wave his new order as a shield during his debate with Mr. Trump this month. But the transparently political timing of his order invites voter skepticism.
Give Me the Power!
“Have you done everything you can do with executive authority [on the border]?”
BIDEN: “I’ve done all I can do. Just give me the power…! Give me the border patrol! Give me the people! The judges! Give me the people who can stop this and make it work right!” pic.twitter.com/8VKTx4cpHB
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 30, 2024
Reporter: “Have you done everything you can do with executive authority?”
Biden: “I’ve done all I can do. Just give me the power.”
