Biden and Trump trade blame as border bill falters
The stalling of a bipartisan immigration bill has sparked a blame game between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The measure, which has already faced rejection from House Republicans and is encountering mounting opposition in the Senate, is at the center of the dispute.
President Biden, speaking from the White House, criticized his predecessor, accusing Trump of preferring to weaponize the immigration issue rather than seek solutions. In response, the Trump campaign pointed fingers at Biden’s policies, alleging that they were contributing to “death, destruction, and chaos” in American communities.
Supporters of the 370-page bill, including members from both the Democratic and Republican parties in Congress, argue that it would help address the unprecedented flow of undocumented immigrants at the southern US border. Key provisions of the legislation include allocating hundreds of millions of dollars for border wall construction, expediting asylum case decisions, restricting humanitarian parole, and broadening the authority to deport migrants.
The standoff underscores the deep political divisions surrounding immigration policy in the United States, with both sides blaming each other for the lack of progress in addressing this complex issue.
The immigration bill has rules to close the border if more than 5,000 migrants cross each week. It includes $120 billion for various purposes, like $20 billion for border security, $60 billion to help Ukraine against Russia, and $14 billion for Israel’s security.
House Republicans tried to separate Israel’s aid into a $17.6 billion bill, but it failed. They also tried to impeach Biden’s top immigration official, but that also failed.
Biden criticized partisan politics, saying the world is watching and waiting for action. He blamed Trump for lobbying Republicans against the bill, accusing them of caving to Trump’s pressure.
The Trump campaign called Biden’s speech embarrassing and accused him of lying. They said Trump’s policies made the border secure and blamed Biden for reversing them.
Trump called the bill foolish and said only radical Democrats would support it. Even if the Senate passes it, the House is likely to reject it.
Immigration activists are unhappy, saying Democrats are ignoring immigrants’ needs to win elections.