As the immigration debate intensifies, Biden travels to the U.S.-Mexico border
On Sunday, President Joe Biden made his first trip to the border since entering office, addressing one of the nation’s most contentious political issues as he gets ready to run for re-election.
In an effort to show that he was taking the issue seriously, Biden visited a section of the wall that separates the two countries while being accompanied by Border Patrol agents. The wall was a top priority for his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Biden said his government will increase immigration enforcement by excluding migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua at the border and extending the list of nations that may be sent back to Mexico.
However, Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not find it impressive and accused him of not upholding immigration rules.
Abbott, who might run for president in 2024, delivered Biden a letter upon his arrival in the state that stated: “You have broken your constitutional commitment to defend the States against invasion by faithful execution of federal laws.”
According to Biden, he hasn’t read the letter yet.
The president also went to the Bridge of the Americas, which unites the United States and Mexico, with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and saw the tools that border guards use to find illegal substances.
Some Border Patrol agents have reacted angrily to the White House’s pullback of strict enforcement practices, and Biden hopes to improve relations with them.
