President Joe Biden’s (quick) visit to the southern border lasted only a few hours before he jetted off and got back to his cushiony life where his failed policies don’t affect him.
On Sunday afternoon, Biden visited El Paso, Texas for the first time since taking office, vowing to send federal law enforcement to help with the crisis.
In just three hours, Biden met with several immigrant rights advocates, walked a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, and inspected a port of entry where border agents explained how they search vehicles for drugs, money, and other contraband.
However, he did not tour government facilities where illegal migrants are being held and processed after crossing into the U.S. He also did not visit downtown El Paso where migrants have lived on the streets.
“They need a lot of resources,” Biden said during his visit. “We’re going to get it for them.”
Seven city and county officials joined Biden on his visit, along with three members of Congress, community business owners, and three U.S. Department of Homeland Security representatives. All of which critics deemed were just there for a photo-op.
Critics also slammed Biden for his visit, saying he is "two years too late."
Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican operative in Texas and partner at Austin-based public affairs firm Steinhauser Strategies, said that Biden only visited the border because it was gaining negative media coverage and was advised that a trip to El Paso would look like they are making an effort to do something about the crisis.
“At this point, he kind of has to go to the border,” said Steinhauser said. “Most Americans are aware of it — have developed opinions about it. It’s almost as if he could not afford to skip the border.”
Additionally, Biden was criticized for not visiting parts of the border most impacted by his open border policies, continuing to ignore the crucial problems.
“You can look across the ports of entry on the entire southwest border, and that’s not where we’re seeing the illegal immigration. We’re seeing the illegal immigration between the ports of entry," Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council said. "That’s the Border Patrol. That’s the component of CBP that handles all of this. He did not have any scheduled visits with them.”
After Biden’s trip, he promised to secure the border. However, his vows are not often fulfilled.