President Biden had no choice. He saw what was happening at the border and knew he had to do something.” A Democratic strategist commented on Biden’s recent order to restrict the number of illegal immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border.
On June 4th, President Biden announced a “ban on illegal immigrants crossing the southern border from gaining asylum,” demonstrating his attempt to significantly limit the number of asylum seekers entering the US from the southern border through executive action. This has become one of the key issues Biden must address in his bid for reelection.
Polls have found that border security and the issue of illegal immigration have become top concerns for voters in the 2024 election. Americans are increasingly worried about the record influx of illegal immigrants entering the US during Biden’s tenure.
Gallup’s monthly data showed that in February, March, and April of this year, Americans ranked illegal immigration as the top issue facing the nation, even surpassing concerns about the economic issues caused by rising prices. While attention on the illegal immigration issue slightly decreased in the May polls as focus shifted to the criminal trial of former President Trump’s “hush money” case, voters still believe it is one of the most critical issues in the US, closely tied to the Biden administration and economic outlook.
A poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC in April also revealed that a majority of Americans (56%) believe that Biden’s presidency has harmed the country on immigration and border security issues. This proportion is significantly higher than those who held a similar view during Trump’s presidency (37%).
Even among Democrats, only about a third believe that Biden’s presidency has been beneficial for the country in terms of immigration and border security, while a similar proportion believe that Biden has caused harm in this area. In contrast, nearly nine out of ten Republicans believe that Trump’s presidency was helpful on this issue.
Latino adults also believe that Trump’s presidency was more helpful to the US in terms of immigration and border security than Biden’s. In March of this year, about half of Latino adults said that Biden’s presidency had caused more harm on immigration and border security – a figure that may be shocking to the Democratic Party as Trump’s campaign team works to weaken the Democrats’ advantage among Hispanic voters.
Since taking office as President of the United States in January 2021, Biden has been critical of the harsh border policies of the Trump administration aimed at curbing illegal immigration and overturned Trump’s “asylum ban.” However, many Democrats now have to acknowledge that Biden is facing a completely different political reality. While a key part of his base forces him to reject border restrictions, Biden has turned to more compromising policies on addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
Sue-Ann DiVito, a 61-year-old real estate broker from Jenkintown, a suburb of Philadelphia, who became an advocate against Trump’s immigration policies during his presidency, now says that some of her Democratic friends are also concerned about the excessive number of illegal immigrants arriving in the US.
“I think that’s why we’re seeing people who typically support (illegal) immigrants being quieter now,” she told the Associated Press.
In Democratic-led cities like New York, earlier this year, local news reports were filled with scenes of clashes between illegal immigrants and police, as well as concerns about the strain on city budgets and resources due to the influx of people.
Democratic strategist Maria Cardona said, “President Biden had no choice. He saw what was happening at the border. The number of people trying to seek asylum here is higher than ever, he knew he had to do something.”
Some Democrats praised Biden’s actions as a response to voter concerns, proposing necessary measures to control the chaos at the southern border.
Congressman Tom Suozzi said, “The President said, ‘I heard you, I know this is a problem, and I am taking action.'”
Suozzi, who helped organize a House Democratic group focused on border security, won a special election in New York this year, campaigning for tough enforcement measures against illegal immigrants while also calling for action to assist those already in the US illegally.
Immigrant advocate DiVito from swing state Pennsylvania believes that Biden’s policies will still be better than Trump’s. “There is a choice in November, and no matter what negative policies Biden is implementing, Trump will make things worse. We all know that,” she said.
Biden’s announcement of the border restriction order reveals a rift between him and the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Some left-wing lawmakers and immigrant advocates criticize Biden’s action as a return to the signature “anti-immigrant” policies during Trump’s presidency.
Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal expressed disappointment in Biden’s border restriction order. At a news conference held outside the Capitol with immigrant advocates, Jayapal urged the Biden administration to act to provide relief to illegal immigrants already in the US.
Jayapal, from Washington state, said that Biden’s order on Tuesday meant “we have some desperate asylum seekers who should have been able to apply but now cannot.”
Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California, who has been involved in Biden’s campaign outreach to the Latino community, viewed Biden’s latest order as a restoration of the “Trump asylum ban.”
“You can build whatever wall you want. You can make it difficult for people to seek asylum, but that won’t stop individuals from wanting to come to America,” Padilla said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a lawsuit to block the implementation of Biden’s border restriction order.
The border restriction order announced on June 4th is the most significant move taken by the Biden administration on the southern border issue – allowing the government to prohibit asylum seekers who illegally cross the US-Mexico border from entering the US.
CNN reported that Biden and Trump are set to hold their first presidential debate on June 27th, with Biden seeking to gain an advantage in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration in the weeks leading up to it.
However, the Trump team believes that Biden’s border restriction order will actually encourage illegal immigration, as the order can be activated and revoked at any time – when the number of illegal border crossings exceeds 2,500 people each day, the restriction order comes into effect, but it will be lifted when that number consistently remains below 1,500 people per day within a week.
Stephen Miller, a former senior advisor who orchestrated Trump’s tough border and immigration policies, said in a phone press conference, “Biden’s executive order can only be understood as an administrative order that supports ‘invasion’ and illegal immigration.”
John McLaughlin, a pollster for the Trump campaign, stated that the issue of illegal immigration resonates particularly among the “security moms” demographic – suburban, college-educated women who are concerned about crime and their families’ safety.
“There’s a sense of insecurity. It’s not just in border communities, but everywhere across the country,” McLaughlin said.
Longtime pollster Frank Luntz, who has worked for the GOP, noted earlier this spring that the issue of illegal immigration seemed to resonate in a unique way across political factions.
He pointed out that young African American males under 40 are especially worried that new immigrants will compete for their job opportunities, and Hispanic Americans resent illegal immigrants. He believes that Biden’s support among these two groups will be easily influenced, and that Biden’s current policy shift comes too late.
Luntz told the Associated Press on June 4th, “The reason the immigration issue is so important to so many is because it vividly illustrates Washington’s failure to address other crises Americans see as paramount. Biden’s decision seems too little and too late. The public does not think he cares about this issue, therefore they don’t think he’ll have (voter support).”