Biden makes tightly controlled visit to the southern border, his first as president
CNN
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President Joe Biden visited the US-Mexico border on Sunday for the first time as president, but he did not appear to see or meet with migrants, including during a trip to a migrant respite center.
Biden spent several hours in El Paso in his first visit to the southern border as president, following growing outcry and criticism that he had not yet seen the crisis created by the record number of migrants trekking to the border first hand. But that brief visit appeared largely focused on enforcement issues and speaking with border enforcement personnel. Reporters on the ground did not see any migrants at the respite center during the president’s visit there, nor along the motorcade routes throughout the afternoon.
Asked to explain the thinking behind having Biden visit this specific center and ultimately not meeting or interacting with any migrants there, a senior administration official told CNN, “There just weren’t any at the center when he arrived. Completely coincidental. They haven’t had any today.”
Biden’s visit was scheduled at a time when border crossings had already dropped drastically in El Paso. Still, CNN’s Rosa Flores reported on Sunday that hundreds of migrants, including children, were living on the street after crossing into the United States in El Paso. And nearly 1,000 additional migrants were in federal custody in detention facilities in El Paso on Sunday, according to the City of El Paso’s migrant dashboard.
The trip came following relentless calls from Republicans who believe the trip is overdue. In addition to Republicans, some border-district Democrats in Congress and even Democratic mayors have criticized Biden for failing to address record levels of border crossings.
Upon arriving, the president’s motorcade drove along a highway that parallels the Rio Grande and the border. An iron-slatted fence with barbed wire at the top was to the left as the motorcade went down the highway. At a quick stop, Biden stood for several minutes along the iron fence separating the US and Mexico as he spoke with officers in green uniforms. The group then walked along the gravel road that abuts the fence. Biden responded to a few questions from reporters, saying that the government would provide every resource needed at the border.
He then visited a migrant processing center, where he did not appear to meet with any migrants, but did discuss the work underway there with several different workers from that facility.
Biden shook each person’s hand and chatted quietly but reporters were unable to hear the exchange. Biden then observed kits containing socks, toothpaste and soap that are given to migrants. He asked if he could wave a wand to help the organizations, what they would look for and the answer appeared to be funding, but reporters covering the visit had trouble hearing him.
With his visit to El Paso, Texas, on Sunday, Biden seized on an issue that’s been a political liability for his administration after calling on Congress to overhaul the US immigration system to meet current needs.
But the patchwork of policies put in place by the administration to manage the border so far has often put Biden at odds with his own allies who argue that the administration’s approach is too enforcement heavy.
“It’s enraging and sad to see a Democratic administration make it harder for vulnerable people to seek asylum all because they’re scared of angry MAGA voters on this issue,” a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus told CNN, responding to the latest policy announcements.
The president’s flight was met by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a persistent critic of Biden and his administration for the federal response to migration on the US southern border. The Republican governor confirmed to reporters that he gave Biden a letter outlining what he described as “chaos” on the border.
The letter, which has been published online by the governor’s office, reiterates Abbott’s previous criticisms, urges Biden to visit other border communities and includes five steps the Texas governor believes the Biden administration should take. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the letter. Biden told reporters he had not yet read the letter.
Escobar, who represents El Paso, insisted that Biden’s visit to the city would not serve solely as a photo opportunity for the president.
“We’ve worked with the White House to make sure that all the folks who are actually doing the work on the ground day-to-day are the ones that the president will meet with,” she said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “He needs to hear about how over…
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