In a new interview that aired Tuesday night, President Biden hinted that he is considering issuing an executive order to effectively shut down the border before the end of the month.
When Univision’s Enrique Acevedo asked the president if he had decided whether to issue an executive order, Biden said that it was something he considered.
Biden stated, “We’re examining whether or not I have that power.” “I would have the power under the statute when, when the border gets over five, 500,000 people—25,000 people per day trying to enter the border because you can’t handle it—slow it down. There’s no guarantee that I’ll have that power on my own without legislation. Some have urged me to just go ahead and attempt it. If the court decides to shut me down, I will comply. But we’re trying to sort that out right now.”
Acevedo spoke with Biden in the Oval Office about a variety of issues, including the border, student loans, NATO expansion, and Israel’s handling of the Gaza war following Hamas’ October 7 strikes.
On immigration, Acevedo mentioned the contentious but bipartisan Senate border accord, as Biden and his administration have attempted to transfer blame for the problem onto Republicans’ shoulders.
Negotiated with Sen. James Lankford, whom the president described as a “very conservative Republican from Oklahoma,” Biden informed Acevedo that the plan would have funded extra Border Patrol agents to interview asylum seekers and gear to identify fentanyl and other illegal narcotics entering the country.
“It did not contain everything I desired. I told them I was going back to get Dreamers and so on, but what it did was provide for a big increase in staff to conduct an orderly transfer and allow legal immigration to rise rather than decline and minimize illegal immigration,” Biden stated.
“What happened was when Trump found out that I liked it and I supported it, and I’d get, quote, credit for it, he got on the phone, not a joke, checked with the Republicans and called them and said, Don’t be for it, it will benefit Biden,” he went on to say. “When the hell would you vote on a key piece of legislation depending on whether it benefits someone in politics?” It is either nice or bad. It was a good piece of legislation, and I will not give up on it.”
“From the beginning, the administration considered what actions may be taken. “There have been no final decisions on what additional executive actions, if any, could be taken,” the official stated. “As we do in all cases, the administration explores a series of policy options; that does not mean any particular policy option will ultimately come to pass.”
A White House official also blamed Congress for failing to pass border security measures earlier this year.
“The administration spent months negotiating in good faith to deliver the toughest and fairest bipartisan border security bill in decades because we need Congress to make significant policy reforms and provide additional funding to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system,” a spokesperson for the White House told Fox News Digital. “Congressional Republicans placed political politics before national security, rejecting what border officers requested.” No executive action, no matter how forceful, can achieve the big policy reforms and increased resources that Congress can provide, but Republicans have resisted. We continue to urge Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to support the bipartisan border-security agreement.
