Immigration
A ‘spiraling tsunami’: Trump tears into Biden’s border policy
Former President Donald Trump on Friday went after President Joe Biden, accusing his successor of prompting a “spiraling tsunami” of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In an emailed statement, the 45th president blamed the current 46th for the surge in border crossing, which has spurred the opening of a pair of two overflow facilities for unaccompanied migrant children.
RELATED: Jen Psaki denies ‘kids in cages’ amid migrant children facilities reopening
“Our border is now totally out of control thanks to the disastrous leadership of Joe Biden,” Trump wrote in a lengthy statement. “Our great Border Patrol and ICE agents have been disrespected, demeaned, and mocked by the Biden Administration.”
“A mass incursion into the country by people who should not be here is happening on an hourly basis, getting worse by the minute. Many have criminal records, and many others have and are spreading covid. Interior enforcement has been shut down — criminals that were once promptly removed by our Administration are now being released back onto the street to commit heinous and violent crimes,” Trump said.
Here, the former president is referencing the recently reported release of migrants who had tested positive for COVID-19 in South Texas.
“The spiraling tsunami at the border is overwhelming local communities, depleting budgets, crowding hospitals, and taking jobs from legal American workers. When I left office, we had achieved the most secure border in our country’s history,” Trump continued. “Under Biden, it will soon be worse, more dangerous, and more out of control than ever before. He has violated his oath of office to uphold our Constitution and enforce our laws.”
On Firday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki fired back at Trump’s statements.
“We don’t take our advice or counsel from former President Trump on immigration policy, which was not only inhumane but ineffective over the last four years,” she said. “We’re going to tread our own path forward and that includes treating children with humanity and respect and ensuring they’re safe when they cross our borders.”
RELATED: Biden admin refuses to call border situation a ‘crisis’
Biden notably stopped construction of his predecessor’s signature border wall along the southern border. In February also, the president started to phase out the “Remain in Mexico” policy, under which around 71,000 Central American asylum applicants were awaiting rulings in Mexico. In some circumstances, asylum seekers who are permitted to wait on rulings inside the United States can receive work permits while they wait.
Back in January, border agents apprehended nearly 78,000 people, an increase from 36,679 in January of last year. Furthermore, each week last month, around 2,200 unaccompanied children were reported to have crossed the border.
On top of loosening Trump administration rules, Biden issued an order affirming the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides work permits and shielding from deportation to individuals brought to the United States illegally as minors, known as “Dreamers.” He also put forward legislation that would establish an eight-year path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants residing in the country.
Conservatives have criticized Biden’s proposed path to citizenship, arguing that the allure of citizenship would inspire more migrants to cross the southern border.
“I had a great relationship with Mexico, and its wonderful president, but all of that has been dissipated by the gross incompetence and radicalism of the people currently in charge. The Remain in Mexico Policy was incredible, but immediately abandoned by Biden, probably because it worked so well,” Trump also said in his statement.
“Likewise, our Safe Third Agreements in Central America were extraordinarily successful, so Biden foolishly ditched them too,” he continued. “We stopped payment of the hundreds of millions of dollars paid to them and then developed an excellent relationship that made our country and their countries more secure.”
The former president also claimed that the current administration has “given the smugglers and traffickers effective control of our border” and anticipated that the border crisis would only worsen.
“There has never been a time on our southern border like what is happening now but more importantly, what is about to happen,” Trump said.
“Now that Biden has implemented nationwide Catch-and-Release, illegal immigrants from every corner of the Earth will descend upon our border and never be returned. You can never have a secure border unless people who cross illegally are promptly removed.”
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
Immigration
Morale Surges Among Border Authorities Following Trump’s Election, Tom Homan’s Appointment as ‘Border Czar’
The election of President-elect Donald Trump has sparked a notable rise in morale among U.S. border authorities, who view Trump’s commitment to border security as a turning point after years of relaxed immigration policies. Following four years that saw record numbers of migrants entering the United States, Trump’s election on promises of border security and mass deportations has revived a sense of optimism within the ranks of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Monday, Trump tapped Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE and a respected figure among border authorities, as his administration’s “border czar.” Homan, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, expressed his determination to address the border crisis. Appearing on Fox & Friends, Homan said, “I’ve been on this network for years complaining about what this administration did to this border… So when the president asked me, ‘Would you come back and fix it?’ Of course, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t.”
Under President Biden, illegal border crossings surged to nearly 3 million in fiscal 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Since fiscal 2021, there have been over 10.8 million encounters involving illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Homan has publicly backed Trump’s plan for mass deportations, emphasizing that public safety and national security threats would be prioritized. When asked in a recent 60 Minutes interview if these deportations would lead to family separations, Homan responded that “families can be deported together.”
For many border officials, Homan’s appointment and Trump’s election represent a long-awaited return to policies they believe are essential to restoring border security. National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez noted, “The morale is through the roof… We’ve received hundreds of calls, texts, emails just saying how happy the agents are.”
“Troops are finally feeling like the sun is coming out after a very long storm,” said one ICE officer in Massachusetts, while an ICE officer in New York described morale as “super high, especially with the Homan news.” An Arizona Border Patrol agent added, “Ecstatic to go to work! Morale is even higher than the first time he won.”
The morale boost has even impacted retirement plans for some border agents. “There are a lot of agents that had originally said that they would retire if President Trump did not win,” Perez said. “Now those same agents are saying they’re going to hold back on their retirement because they want to serve under this administration again.”
A California border agent shared that “nothing will change until Tom Homan takes the leash off us,” while a Texas border agent commented on the renewed enthusiasm: “People who were going to retire are not, and everyone is happy.” Another senior ICE official expressed satisfaction, saying, “People know now they will get to do the work they signed up to do… They know they can get the bad guys now. Public safety threats, national security threats, gang members—here we come.”
Officials also expressed relief at the prospect of no longer being required to use politically correct language, such as referring to illegal immigrants as “noncitizens.”
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