Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized President Biden’s new plan as ‘a joke,’ while Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) expressed ‘profound disappointment.’
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden’s executive order for securing the U.S. southern border has faced criticism from politicians on both sides of the aisle for its perceived lack of compassion, seriousness, and effectiveness.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) described the president’s new plan as “a joke.”
“Even if Biden actually enforced it fully (which he won’t), it would still allow close to a million people a year to cross illegally ON TOP OF the 10 million he has already allowed in over the last 3 years,” he stated.
On his first day in office, President Biden reversed many of the policies implemented by President Donald Trump, including the “remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers. His administration has blamed Republicans for not supporting legislation that he claims would bring about significant change.
However, Republicans in both chambers of the legislature, like Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), pointed out that the president already had the executive authority to secure the border if he chose to do so.
“Three and a half years into his administration, he finally realized that he had the executive authority to shut down the border crisis that he himself created by reversing many of the policies of the Trump administration,” Mr. Lawler told The Epoch Times, calling the delayed action “laughable.”
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House Republicans have passed legislation to secure the border, HR-2, but these efforts have been blocked by Senate Democrats.
President Joe Biden announced on June 4 an executive order to halt asylum requests at the southern border when the average daily encounters exceed 2,500.
The border will remain closed until the daily average drops below 1,500 for at least a week but will remain open for exceptions such as unaccompanied minors, individuals using lawful pathways like the CBP One app, and illegal immigrants expressing fear of return or prosecution.
Senior administration officials clarified that these actions were temporary, only applied to those entering unlawfully, were not discriminatory based on religion, and aimed to be more humane overall.
President Biden emphasized his approach, stating, “I will never demonize immigrants. I’ll never separate children from their families at the border. I will not ban people from this country based on their religious beliefs.”
Despite this, some Democrats in Congress expressed concerns prior to President Biden’s signing of the executive order.
“I’m worried that this is solely focused on enforcement, but I believe we can also support programs like Temporary Protected Status and DACA,” said House Democrat Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).
“We can also assist families with undocumented members, such as spouses,” he added.
Following the signing, several other Democrats have voiced opposition to the measure.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, released a statement conveying her “profound disappointment” with the executive action.
“An enforcement-only approach has never proven effective,” she stated. “It is disheartening that the Biden Administration has embraced this approach. The reality is that border issues are closely tied to the functionality of the legal immigration system. Border encounters increase when legal pathways are dysfunctional or impractical.”
She joined Texas Democratic Congressman Greg Casar and other colleagues at a rally advocating under the slogan “Asylum is a Right.”
President Biden seemed to address concerns within his party, stating, “For those who believe my actions are too stringent, I urge you to be patient. Doing nothing is not an option. We must act in accordance with our laws and values.”
The executive order is set to take effect at midnight, according to the White House.
Jackson Richman contributed to this report.
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