Fifteen House Democrats have called on President Joe Biden to take executive action to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a letter obtained by CBS News.
Reportedly, the lawmakers from Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan, among other states, are facing touch campaign cycles. In the letter to the president, they urged him to “immediately take further action to restore order at the Southern border and fix our broken immigration system.”
Reportedly, the letter was led by Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig. Others who signed the letter include Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV).
"It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act," the letter said. "We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration."
The lawmakers explained in their letter that "all of our constituents, no matter our congressional district, have felt the impacts of the current border situation."
Angelo Fernández Hernández, a White House spokesperson, responded to the letter in an email, claiming that "congressional Republicans chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security, and rejected what border agents have said they need."
"We continue to call on Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to pass the bipartisan deal to secure the border," Hernández added.
Jack Pandol, the communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, responded to the letter by saying in an email to CBS that "extreme Democrats play Lucy with the football every election year - promising to lock down the border after opening the floodgates the year before."
"It's a pathetic charade that says more about Democrats' political freakout over their open borders policies than it does about their willingness to end the crisis." Pandol added.
Last night, reports broke that Biden administration plans to propose a new rule aimed at speeding up the asylum claims process for some illegal aliens. According to the Associated Press, the rule would affect migrants with criminal records or those who would otherwise be eventually deemed ineligible for asylum in the United States.
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