Immigration
President Biden concedes southwest border has not been secure for past decade
The shocking admission comes amid continued impeachment hearings aimed at DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
January 20, 2024 11:22am
Updated: January 20, 2024 11:22am
President Biden conceded to journalists on Friday that even he has concerns that the southwest border is compromised, a surprising admission considering the allegations congressional Republicans are making that his administration has been negligent in its handling of illegal border crossing and immigration.
The jaw dropping admission came from Biden during an exchange with Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich after she asked the president if he believed the border was secure.
"No, it’s not," Biden answered, according to Fox News. "I haven’t believed it for the last 10 years. And I’ve said it for the last 10 years … give me the money."
Heinrich also asked the president if he thought that the ongoing effort to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the House of Representatives was unconstitutional.
Biden hesitated, apparently confused by the question, saying, “I don’t get it.”
All congressional Republican House members of the House Homeland Security Committee are currently supporting Mayorkas’ impeachment.
When the president was asked if he felt his immigration policies were driving illegal border crossing, he responded in the negative.
"No, I’ve … I’ve asked for thousands more, of everything, from judges to … anyway," Biden said, trailing off as he spoke.
The Dept. of Homeland Security said last month that the backlog of undocumented migrants inside the country has virtually doubled since the 46th president was sworn in, Jan. 20, 2021.
Some numbers have placed the number of border crossers at six million.
The president discussed possible border initiatives on Friday with members of Congress at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting to the White House.
“I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system to ensure that we have the authorities we need to control the border,” Biden said, adding, “I’m ready to act.”
Republicans under the leadership of House Speaker Mike Johnson have suggested they would be willing to fund military aid to Ukraine and Israel if Democrats made more concrete efforts to expand border security and strengthen the immigration system.
