Governor Greg Abbott called out President Joe Biden again over his leadership in enforcing immigration laws. This rhetoric is not new for Governor Abbott as he has disagreed with Biden’s handling of the border since he came into office in 2021.
Since President Biden took over, he removed immigration policies that his predecessor, Donald Trump, put in place. Biden stopped building the southern border wall with Mexico. The Biden administration also opened the door for immigrants to apply for citizenship according to Pew Research.
Around the time President Biden visited the southern border for the first time, he passed an executive order allowing 30,000 migrants a month to apply for asylum from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
In 2023, the U. S. Supreme Court also ended Title 42 according to SCOTUS Blog. Title 42 was a Trump policy that limited migrants from entering the United States due to COVID.
Despite the policies, last year a record number of illegal immigrants crossed the southern border.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 269,735 illegal immigrants crossed the border in 2023 surpassing the previous record of 227,547 set a year earlier.
Earlier this year, Governor Abbott said according to a press release in Eagle Pass:
“President Biden has abandoned his constitutional duty to protect Americans by refusing to secure our southern border. During his presidency, Joe Biden has smashed records for illegal immigration and allowed total chaos to be unleashed along our southern border.”
On Monday, April 8, Governor Abbott posted on X:
"Texas National Guard soldiers continue to reinforce border barriers in El Paso to deter and repel illegal crossings."
"Texas will exercise our sovereign authority to protect our southern border – and our nation – because President Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws."
Immigration has been a hot topic among voters according to a recent Gallup poll. Biden is seeking re-election as the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump is the Republican challenger.
Do you think immigration is a serious issue in the United States?