President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) are engaged in a confrontation regarding border issues. Despite the president’s willingness to make significant policy compromises, the bipartisan bill was thwarted in the Senate following Johnson’s assertion that it lacked viability in his chamber. With the legislative proposal now defunct, there are indications that the president may resort to executive orders to tackle the issue, but the speaker remains skeptical of this approach.
Numerous accounts have emerged suggesting that the president is contemplating the utilization of executive authority to limit asylum. Following the circulation of these rumors, Johnson released a statement denouncing the purported executive order as election-year tactics. The speaker accused the president of yielding control of the southern border to cartels and smugglers, attributing responsibility to him for the fentanyl crisis, human trafficking, and the dispersal of asylum seekers throughout the nation.
The purported directive would purportedly bar individuals who have entered the country unlawfully from seeking asylum. Presently, individuals, regardless of their entry method—legal or illegal—are entitled to request sanctuary in the United States.
Insiders informed The New York Times that the directive would incorporate provisions akin to those present in the bill rejected by Republicans. This entails granting the president authority to close the border in the event of an average influx of 5,000 migrants per day persisting for a week, or if the daily intake surpasses 8,500 individuals.
In 2018, ex-President Donald Trump issued a comparable executive decree. Nonetheless, District Court Judge Jon S. Tigar halted the measure, asserting that it was illegal for the executive branch to attempt to alter immigration statutes without Congress’ consent. Experts and the Biden Administration have previously contended that he lacks the authority to close the border for the same legal rationale.
When Trump attempted to single-handedly amend the asylum regulations, Democrats vehemently opposed the move. Biden, whose popularity is already waning, could encounter a comparable outcry from his party. Johnson asserts that the president is seeking to court voters who are dissatisfied with his administration’s lack of action during his tenure. The timing of when he might issue the purported executive order remains uncertain.
