'Too little too late': Internet fumes as Biden plans for executive order to shut down border despite claiming he needs Congress to act

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden is reportedly planning on issuing an executive order that would give him the authority to close the US-Mexico border if the number of migrant crossings reaches 4,000 per day, according to the New York Post.

This executive action would align with a provision in the failed bipartisan border bill that couldn’t pass the Senate in February.

The bill would have allowed the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief to expel migrants when border crossings reached the same daily average.

The proposed legislation would have granted the Homeland Security Secretary discretionary authority to carry out removals but would have made deportations compulsory when illegal entries exceeded 5,000 per day over a one-week period.

The bill also included a provision to suspend this authority two weeks after the seven-day average fell to 75% of those levels.

A federal government source has confirmed that an executive order to limit entries is forthcoming, although the timing of the announcement is unclear.

Migrant crossings into US have seen an uptick under Biden

In April, authorities along the southwestern border intercepted an average of 5,990 migrants per day, as reported by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

This figure does not account for "gotaways," individuals who managed to evade detection and arrest.

Conventionally, the number of border crossings decreases during summer, as migrants are less likely to attempt illegal entry into the US due to the intense heat.

However, last year saw a surge in border crossings, with the average number of daily crossings rising from 4,819 in June to 5,919 in July, 7,515 in August, and 8,991 in September.

According to internal CBP data exclusively obtained by the aforementioned outlet, the US Border Patrol currently detains over 10,000 migrants nationwide.

Five Border Patrol sectors have surpassed their migrant holding capacity, with the San Diego region accommodating 1,675 migrants in facilities designed for a maximum of 1,000 individuals.

The executive order would "prove" the president "doesn't need Congress to pass legislation to take action on the border," according to a spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), who has continually urged the POTUS to take action on the border issue.

While assuring reporters he had "done all I can do" in January to restrict illegal immigration, Biden maintained that lawmakers must adopt the border bill before he could take any further action.

“Just give me the power. I’ve asked from the very day I got into office,” the Democrat statesman said at the time. “Give me the Border Patrol, give me the people, the judges — give me the people who can stop this and make it work right.”

The president's stance has since shifted following consistent public polling indicating an arduous path to re-election in November.

Concerns over illegal immigration and heightened border enforcement have emerged as paramount issues for American voters.

Notably, the Biden administration has implemented new restrictions on asylum interviews at the southern border, enabling swift removal of migrants lacking a "credible fear" of returning to their home country from the US.

Additionally, in February, the president had reportedly considered taking executive action to prevent migrants from receiving asylum if they cross the border illegally between ports of entry and to remove others at specified entries when crossings reached an established threshold, per Politico.

A memo advising members to go "on the offensive" against Republicans "who joined [former President Donald] Trump in killing a bipartisan border deal so that they could campaign on the border" was also circulated on Friday by the House Democratic campaign arm.

Former President Donald Trump, 77, has pledged to implement the “largest mass deportation effort” in the history of the United States if he is re-elected on November 5, aiming to remove “nearly 20 million” undocumented immigrants currently in the country.

By October, it is anticipated that over 8 million migrants will be residing unlawfully in the US, as per a court docket of asylum cases involving non-citizens who have been released into the country's interior by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Internet fumes as Biden plans for executive order

One X user remarked, "Everything he does now is for the election."

Another said, "There shouldn't be 4 let alone 4,000 crossing the border. We WANT THE BORDER CLOSED~ Period."

Someone else claimed, "4000 a day is 4000 too many! We don't even have the resources to take care of our own LEGAL CITIZENS!"

One user wrote, "Too little too late in my eyes.."

Another X user remarked, "Close the border AFTER 4000/day ? 4000 per day x 365 days = 1,460,000 per year !!! IS HE CRAZY ? On top of this there will be more runaway illegal crossings and Biden planes coming in..."

Someone else tweeted, "Gee, just 120,000 a month, and he calls that shut down?"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.