Tipsheet

Fact Check: White House's Misleading Claim Biden Has Been to the Southern Border

Julio Rosas
Julio Rosas  |  November 30, 2022 5:00 PM

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed during Wednesday's press briefing President Joe Biden has been to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to being asked if he has taken up House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) offer to visit the region.

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Jean-Pierre if Biden has accepted McCarthy's offer, noting Biden has not been to the border.

"He's been there. He's been to the border," Jean-Pierre replied.

"When did he go to the border?" Doocy pressed.

Jean-Pierre went on to say Biden has been "taking action to fix our immigration and secure our border."

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While it is true Biden did go to the southern border one time in 2008, it is far from the fact-finding mission Jean-Pierre tried to make it appear. Biden technically drove by the U.S.-Mexico border in the El Paso Sector for a few minutes while en route to the suburb of Las Cruces for a political rally, according to the Washington Post. It was not to meet with Border Patrol or Customs agents or see the security measures that were in place at the time.

The purpose of a visit to the southern border today is because the situation has drastically changed since 2008. The El Paso Sector has since become one of the busiest parts of the border, eclipsing the Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio Sectors. Republicans and politicians living along the border have asked for either Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris to visit to see the crisis they created firsthand.