The Biden administration doubled down Thursday on Veep Kamala Harris’ declare that the US border with Mexico is “safe” regardless of a surge of unlawful crossings and overwhelmed migrant processing facilities.
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre backed up Harris — who was skewered for insisting earlier this week that “the border is safe” regardless of a damaged immigration system that “must be fastened” — at a press briefing.
The continued harm management from Jean-Pierre included her blaming President Donald Trump’s administration for “decimating” the nation’s immigration system and mistakenly referring to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz because the governor of Texas whereas she acquired grilled by reporters over whether or not the White Home stood by Harris’ “safe border” assertion.
“What we stand by is that we're doing every part that we will to be sure that we comply with the method that’s been put forth,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “That’s why we've got historic funding to do exactly that, to be sure that the parents that we encounter on the border be eliminated or expelled.”
Extra migrants are being eliminated or expelled this yr than any earlier yr, she mentioned, noting that a new anti-human-smuggling marketing campaign resulted in 3,000 arrests within the first three months of its launch.
“I’m simply going to refer again to the vice chairman — we agree along with her saying that there’s plenty of work to do, proper? [Harris] additionally mentioned that in that very assertion,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “We agree that the border is safe, however there may be nonetheless extra work to be accomplished.”
Reporter Jacqui Heinrich of Fox Information requested the press secretary, “Do you assume that People imagine that the border is safe?”
The spokeswoman replied, “What I can inform you is the file and the method that we've got been utilizing to be sure that we do our greatest to safe the border.
“We do our greatest to be sure that we repair a damaged system that was left behind by the final administration, and that’s what we’re going to proceed to do.”
Heinrich later requested if the White Home thought voters felt they had been being “lied to” as they see photos of crowds of migrants amid reviews of overwhelmed US immigration processing facilities.
“So once more, it's a damaged system, the immigration system, and it was decimated by the final administration,” the spokeswoman mentioned.
The press secretary mentioned repairs to the Trump border wall have price $2.6 million between fiscal yr 2019 and 2021, and that the partially constructed wall was breached 3,000 instances. The Biden administration has “accomplished plenty of work right here to repair this technique,” she mentioned.
The press briefing got here as Republican governors proceed to ship migrants to Democratic strongholds akin to New York Metropolis and Chicago. Up to now two days, a whole bunch even have been dumped in Martha’s Winery and outdoors the vice chairman’s Washington, DC, house.
Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say if the administration thought the motion by Republican governors was unlawful however complained concerning the therapy of migrants, who embrace youngsters.
“We have now had a course of in place,” she mentioned. “There’s a authorized means of doing this and for managing migrants. Republican governors interfering in that course of and utilizing migrants as political pawns is, is shameful, is reckless and simply plain incorrect.
“And bear in mind, these are people who find themselves fleeing communism, who're fleeing hardship,” she added, earlier than mixing up Cruz with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and saying “they need to ask Texas Gov. Ted Cruz and Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott why they voted in opposition to the president’s request for file funding for the Division of Homeland Safety.”
Cruz later retweeted video of the gaffe, commenting “Lease free.”
Post a Comment