“I intend to do it,” Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday when he was asked if he intended to go to the US-Mexico border, where many potential immigrants regularly arrive.
The US president did not give more details about the date of this visit, who next Monday will travel to Mexico for a summit with the Mexican and Canadian presidents.
The immigration issue is particularly sensitive for the White House, which is struggling at the moment to put in place a sustainable strategy to manage arrivals at the 3,000-kilometre-long border with Mexico.
Donald Trump’s legacy
The Biden administration’s immigration policy so far has largely hinged on a measure implemented by former President Donald Trump, which severely restricts entry into the territory in the name of health concerns.
This legal device, known as “Title 42”, has been the subject of several legal battles. The Supreme Court decided to uphold it on December 27, pending a decision on the merits next spring.
The immigration crisis on the southern border is one of the favorite topics of the Republican opposition, which criticizes Joe Biden for being blind on the matter and regularly calls on the US president and vice president Kamala Harris to get there.
Human rights activists criticize the measure now in force, which allows immediate expulsion, without legal recourse.
Many US states are warning of an influx of migrants once Title 42 is lifted, as illegal arrivals at the US-Mexico border are already breaking all-time records, with more than 200,000 arrests in just november.
Source: BFM TV
