When President Joe Biden announced the temporary shutdown of asylum requests at the U.S./Mexico border Tuesday, the response was vociferous, as might be expected from such a fraught issue. What’s especially interesting, though, is how much of the noise came from politicians who sit on his side of the aisle.
Those in favor of his decision said it was high time the president took on the border issue, which he did by signing an executive order that shut down asylum requests once the average number of daily encounters tops 2,500. Because that threshold had already been met, the shutdown went into effect by the following morning.
Proponents such as U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem, Mass., Democrat, said Biden’s order shows that he is “serious about the problem at the southern border.”
Congresswoman Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Westford, agreed.
On the other hand, other liberals opposed the measure, saying it goes too far.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Boston Democrat, hit on the human rights issue.
“I urge the White House to immediately reverse course and work with us to build a just immigration system that affirms asylum as a human right and respects the dignity and humanity of all people,” she said.
Sen. Ed Markey, a Malden Democrat, blasted Biden’s plan, calling it “irresponsible and ill-advised.” He said the Biden administration should focus on “fair adjudication of asylum claims, limitations on detention, and more legal pathways to entry.”
“People fleeing violence and unstable conditions helped build the United States, and our country has recognized the duty to continue providing vulnerable populations safe harbor,” Markey said in a statement. “This asylum ban threatens this foundational promise and pushes the United States in the wrong direction.”
Naturally, Republicans are also opposed to the measure, not on its merits so much as on the politics behind it. They recognize that Biden is taking a lot of political heat from his own constituency on the issue. Many polls show Biden’s approval rating at an all-time low, led in part by his handling of the border crisis. Polls also show that a majority of Americans want stronger controls at the border.
House Speaker Mike Johnson ripped into Biden’s order on border security, calling it “window dressing” that would do little to deter migrants from entering the country illegally.
Democrats are quick to point out that Biden’s earlier attempt to pass a sweeping immigration bill was voted down by House Republicans at the behest of former Republican President Donald Trump, who wanted to prevent the current president from getting a win. So far, that seems to be working, as problems at the border continue to worsen while Biden flounders.
The timing of Biden’s order has been criticized, given his failure to act before now – after all the election is looming. But politics aside, something has to be done.
One demonstration of the need for urgency plays out right here in Massachusetts. We’re dealing with the billion-dollar problem of feeding, housing and caring for an influx of migrants who come to the Bay State because it’s a right-to-shelter state, meaning migrants are guaranteed a place to live, regardless of their immigration status.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, also a Democrat, praised Biden, while slamming Republicans for “repeatedly failing to act on immigration reform, leaving states like Massachusetts to go above and beyond to address this federal problem. It is not sustainable and we need Congress to finally step up and act now.”
As the cost of caring for migrants goes up, the patience of taxpayers is running out.
During a public hearing Tuesday night in Norfolk, residents of the town shouted down state officials for their proposal to shelter 450 migrants and their children in an old, unused jail located in a remote part of the town.
Meanwhile, in places like Methuen, hotels are filled with migrant families and taxpayers are footing the bill.
While Biden’s attempts at tightening the border may not be foolproof, they are a beginning. This is a crisis that must be solved, all politics aside.
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