House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has cautioned Joe Biden and the White House against resorting to “election year gimmicks” in any measures aimed at addressing the persistent illegal migrant crisis, a situation Republicans have attributed to the president since the outset of his term.
Reports indicate that Biden is considering executive action to restrict asylum claims, potentially including a provision to cease new entries after a set number of illegal crossings. This mechanism resembles one featured in a Senate immigration proposal that was recently dismissed, which Johnson said would have been “dead on arrival” in the House. Additionally, the administration is contemplating enhancing screening standards, as reported by The Daily Wire.
“Americans have lost faith in this president and won’t be fooled by election year gimmicks that don’t secure the border. Nor will they forget that the President created this catastrophe and, until now, has refused to use his executive power to fix it,” Johnson noted in a statement.
The Speaker also expressed concern over reports suggesting Biden is now considering utilizing Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision grants the president the authority to bar entry to individuals considered “detrimental” to U.S. interests to “regain operational control of the border.” It comes after Biden previously asserted that he had exhausted all available measures to secure the border.
“These reports also underscore just how brazenly and intentionally President Biden misled the public when he claimed he had done everything in his power to secure the border. Specifically, the President’s alleged desire to invoke Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which the White House dismissed using for months, is particularly telling,” Johnson said.
My statement regarding President Biden finally admitting he has the authority to address the border catastrophe he has created: pic.twitter.com/GUWeeb05pW
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 22, 2024
The Daily Wire added:
Johnson sent a letter to Biden in December encouraging the president to consider a number of options under existing law in lieu of an immediate legislative solution after the Senate refused to consider a House-passed border security bill. The list included ending catch-and-release, stopping the “exploitation” of parole authority, reviving asylum cooperation agreements with Mexico, ramping up “expedited” removal of migrants who fail to qualify for asylum, and renewing construction of a border wall. The speaker raised a couple of familiar suggestions on Thursday.
“If these reports are true and the President intends to take action, he can show he’s serious by changing more than asylum policy. He should begin by reinstating the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy and ending his administration’s abuse of the parole system, along with other critical reforms,” Johnson said.
