A new wave of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has put enormous pressure on federal resources and tested President Joe Biden’s border policies just months after they took effect, prompting new criticism from Republicans and concern within the government on a politically sensitive issue.
Over the past two years, the current president’s administration has continued to face fierce opposition from Republicans and sometimes Democrats over its immigration policies.
That political situation was highlighted this week as government officials grappled with images of migrants entering the U.S. in large groups.
But the new wave of newcomers does not bode well for Biden as he intensifies his re-election campaign in the face of Republicans who continue to criticize the administration for its handling of the border.
In the absence of immigration reform, the administration has introduced a policy framework to try to stem the flow of migrants traveling to the U.S. southern border, such as a mobile app to prevent people from crossing illegally.
They have also set up centers in the hemisphere to allow immigrants to apply to enter the United States.
However, human migration has increased, and Department of Homeland Security officials argue that this is due to poor economies, authoritarian regimes and the climate crisis driving migration.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the border in McAllen, Texas this Saturday to meet with Honduran President Xiomara Castro.
The Defense Department, for its part, sent 800 new active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to support federal authorities, in addition to the 2,500 National Guard members already deployed.
The arrival of migrants at the southern border of the United States is also impacting the city centers where asylum seekers typically stay while they go through their immigration procedures, expanding the scope of the problem for the Biden administration.
