Biden Contemplating Executive Action Regarding the Border

President Joe Biden is considering executive actions and federal regulations aimed at stemming the flow of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, including changes to asylum standards and stricter points of entry, according to CNN.

The report comes as the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 124,220 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border in January, a 50% decrease compared to December 2023.

The sharp drop is welcome news for the White House, even if it proves temporary, as immigration becomes one of the biggest issues in this year’s presidential election, with exit polls showing it is the top concern among many Republican voters in early primaries. House Republicans voted last week to impeach U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his oversight of the border.

Biden is considering using an authority known as 212f of the Immigration and Nationality Act between ports of entry. It provides that: “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”

Democrats and Republicans have gone back and forth on immigration regulations to address the burgeoning surge of illegal immigrants with the Senate last week failing to pass a supplemental spending agreement that included aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as a border security and immigration package.