(UnitedHeadlines.com) – President Joe Biden is facing backlash from progressive Democrats over potential executive actions he could take to secure the southern border of the United States amid record border crossings.
While no decision has been made about Biden taking executive action, he is exploring the option of using federal immigration powers to control the crisis at the border.
The action Biden is considering is the same powers used by former President Donald Trump in 2018, under Section 212(f) of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. The move would restrict the ability of migrants who cross the border illegally to claim asylum in the United States.
The discussion about whether Biden should use executive action comes after Senate Republicans killed the Senate’s proposed legislation. The proposal would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to shut down the border if, in any one-week period, daily crossings exceed a daily average of 4,000. House Speaker and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson opposed the legislation and has repeatedly called on Biden to control the border through executive action.
On Twitter, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it is the legal right of all people to seek asylum, adding that Democrats should commit to their principles. She called the suggestion of an executive action similar to the one used by Trump “outrageous” and called on Biden to “refuse to sign it.”
The House Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair and Democratic California Rep. Nanette Barragán said its members are opposed to Biden unilaterally attempting to overhaul the asylum system. Barragán called it “unbelievable” that Biden is considering executive actions that might use similar methods as Trump to control the border.
Amnesty International USA’s Director of refugee and migrant rights Amy Fischer argued that executive action targeting people seeking asylum is a violation of U.S. and international law that has established the right for people to seek asylum in another country. She said Biden should not revert to “Trump’s playbook of cruelty.”
In a statement, Johnson called the consideration of using executive action to control the border an “election year gimmick.”
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