U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday the temporary closure of the border with Mexico to migrants when the number of irregular entries into the country is excessive, a drastic measure on a key issue to secure re-election in the November presidential elections.
The 81-year-old Democratic leader will sign an executive order allowing authorities to suspend the entry of asylum seekers and migrants when more than 2,500 cases occur in a single day, the White House reported. The text also facilitates deportations to Mexico.
“For Joe Biden, the security of American families must always come first. That is why the president is announcing historic new executive actions to prevent migrants crossing our southern border illegally from receiving asylum,” said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.
The president is scheduled to speak at 2:00 PM (6:00 PM GMT), according to the White House. Authorities indicated that the restrictions are expected to take immediate effect, as they will be implemented when illegal migrant crossings exceed 2,500 per day, and the numbers are already above that threshold.
The official text provides for the reopening of the border when the number of asylum seekers is less than 1,500 per day. “We expect the order to take effect immediately,” a Biden administration official told reporters.
Trump’s Rhetoric
Biden is attempting to shift his immigration policy after opinion polls revealed that this issue will be crucial for re-election in his rematch against the tycoon and former Republican president Donald Trump (2017-2021).
Trump’s campaign team dismissed this initiative in a statement, considering it not designed “for border security,” and reiterated the Republican’s message that irregular immigrants are responsible for the increase in violent crimes in the United States, an accusation without basis in official data.
The tycoon spent his term announcing his intention to build a wall on the border with Mexico and intensified his anti-immigration rhetoric to return to the White House.
“Millions of people have entered our country, and now, after almost four years of his weak and failed leadership, his pathetic leadership, corrupt Joe Biden finally intends to do something about the border,” exclaimed Trump, 77, in a video posted on his social network Truth Social.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally, quickly labeled Biden’s measure as “window dressing.” However, the White House has emphasized that Biden is trying to address a “decades-long failed” immigration system and blames Republicans in Congress for not cooperating and blocking billions of dollars for border policies.
Eye on Re-Election
Biden aims to deflect Republican attacks and court undecided voters concerned about the border’s migration situation. But his plan is likely to anger members and activists of the left wing of the Democratic Party and is almost certain to be challenged in court by civil rights groups.
More than 2.4 million migrants crossed the southern U.S. border in 2023 alone. Most come from Central America and Venezuela, fleeing poverty, violence, and natural disasters intensified by climate change. The figure reached a record of 10,000 people per day in December, although this number has declined in recent months.
The Biden administration has tried to curb crossings by working in coordination with Mexico and other countries to reduce migration flows through economic policies and more restrictive law enforcement, but polls show that voters believe not enough has been done.
Biden spoke on Monday with Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president-elect, to congratulate her on her decisive victory on Sunday and promise her a “strong and collaborative partnership” on issues such as migration.
