Biden Vows to ‘Shut Down’ Border If Congress Passes Deal

President Joe Biden on Jan. 26 vowed to use expanded authority to shut down the overwhelmed southern U.S. border should Congress pass a bipartisan deal that ties immigration security measures to Ukraine and Israel aid.

This comes after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Friday the deal would be “dead on arrival” in the U.S. House of Representatives if reports on its terms are true. The terms are yet to be released.

In a statement late Friday, President Biden touted the negotiations between a bipartisan group of lawmakers and his administration on the supplemental funding package.

An alleged leaked draft of the deal, which has been refuted by Republican negotiators, appears to suggest the terms would allow for up to 5,000 illegal immigrants to be released into the country per day, on average over a week, or up to 8,500 in a single day, before border patrol agents must remove them. This is purportedly among other concessions.

President Biden urged Congress to support the package on Friday, saying the terms would be the “toughest and fairest” set of reforms ever to secure the border. The White House did not provide further details on the terms.

A key aspect of the proposed reforms includes granting the president new emergency authority to shut down the border when overwhelmed.

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“It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed,” President Biden said, according to the White House.

He continued: “And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.”

‘Dead on Arrival’

Earlier, the House speaker told his colleagues in the Senate that the legislation would not pass in the lower chamber if House Republicans felt that it did not adequately address the issue of record numbers of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States.

“I wanted to provide a brief update regarding the supplemental and the border, since the Senate appears unable to reach any agreement. If rumors about the contents of the draft proposal are true, it would have been dead on arrival in the House anyway,” Mr. Johnson wrote.

“I am emphasizing again today that House Republicans will vigorously oppose any new policy proposal from the White House or Senate that would further incentivize illegal aliens to break our laws,” he added.

In the letter, Mr. Johnson attributed the southern border crisis to deliberate actions by President Biden and his administration, accusing them of ignoring and undermining the nation’s immigration laws.

“Rather than accept accountability, President Biden is now trying to blame Congress for what HE himself intentionally created,” he wrote.

The Biden administration denies allegations of not doing enough to reduce the illegal immigration influx, citing seasonal fluctuations, a broken immigration system, and climate change as factors contributing to the increase.

Mr. Johnson met with President Biden and negotiators at the White House last week, but negotiations on the deal seem to have stalled in the Senate.

A group of senators from both sides of the political spectrum have been working together for several weeks to finalize a funding agreement that would cover both border security and foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel. The senators aim to secure $60 billion in aid to support Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.

The Department of Defense has already used up its designated funds for Ukraine without requiring approval from Congress.

The Biden administration is seeking more than $100 billion in funding, with $14 billion allocated for the border. However, Republicans have specified certain requirements, such as limitations on the release of migrants into the interior, including the use of parole. Therefore, negotiators are trying to find a compromise that satisfies both sides.

In his statement on Friday, President Biden called on Congress to allocate the necessary funding he requested last October to bolster border security. This funding would support the addition of 1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum officers, and over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines designed to detect and halt the influx of fentanyl at the southwest border.

“Securing the border through these negotiations is a win for America. For everyone who is demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it,” President Biden added.

Texas Stand Off

President Biden’s change of stance comes amid a standoff between his administration and Texas over the border.

In the face of pressure from the Biden administration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has asserted state authority under Article I of the U.S. Constitution to stop the flood of illegal immigrants pouring into his state via a section of the border at Eagle Pass.

In an attempt to deter illegal immigrants, the Texas state authorities took control of a public park in Eagle Pass and started installing razor wire. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Biden administration, stating that federal authorities could remove the wire, the state is still continuing with the installation.

In a statement on Jan. 25, he asserted that President Biden has failed in his constitutional responsibility to enforce federal laws protecting states from surging illegal immigration.

“The result is that he has smashed records for illegal immigration,” Mr. Abbott said, accusing the president of violating his oath to faithfully execute immigration laws enacted by Congress. Instead of prosecuting illegal entries, Mr. Abbott states that President Biden has sent federal lawyers to sue Texas for “taking action to secure the border.”

Mr. Abbott has stressed that Texas has the constitutional authority to defend itself.

Samantha Flom contributed to this report.