The Impact of Migrant Influx on Democratic Immigration Strategies

President Joe Biden admits to breaking a campaign promise as he is compelled to include additional construction on Donald Trump's border wall.

Big city Democratic mayors are fervently urging the Democratic president for increased involvement in addressing the influx of asylum-seeking migrants. New York Mayor Eric Adams, among others, is presently in Latin America.

The current immigration situation is posing a challenge to Democrats, who typically aim to project a hospitable image but now seem to be adopting a more stringent approach in alignment with their recent stances.

Why is Biden now behind new border wall?

Heres how CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez explained Bidens about-face during an appearance on the network Thursday:

Alvarez reported that the administration faced a deadline to utilize the 2019 congressionally appropriated funds for a border barrier by the end of fiscal year 2023. According to a source, the administration had two options: either use the funds or not use them. They ultimately chose to utilize the funds for constructing border barriers in South Texas. For more details, please refer to her comprehensive report.

How did Biden justify the switch?

Despite acknowledging that border walls are ineffective, President Biden expressed his frustration with the allocated funds for the border wall. During a press conference in the Oval Office on Thursday, Biden explained that he attempted to reallocate the money but was unsuccessful. According to the law, the government is obligated to use the funds as originally intended, and Biden admits he is unable to prevent this allocation.

Where will these barriers go?

Contrary to Trump's assertion, the completion of a wall along the Mexico border is not entirely accurate. CNN's fact-check team has corroborated that Trump's initiatives primarily focused on renovating 373 miles of existing barrier, while only incorporating 52 miles of primary wall construction.

Despite his promise as a candidate, Biden's administration is now focusing on high traffic areas near the Rio Grande. Alvarez highlights that this particular region witnessed approximately 300,000 interactions between US officials and migrants from October to August.

Is this exactly what Trump did when he built border barriers?

Biden, similar to Trump, will have to make use of multiple waivers of federal laws, such as the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, to construct the new barriers. However, there exist significant contrasts between Biden's actions and Trump's.

According to Alvarez, these funds were allocated by Congress. In contrast to the Trump administration, they did not use Pentagon funds. Additionally, the Biden administration actively sought public input last month as they developed plans for constructing barriers. However, this contradicts Biden's campaign promise to refrain from building a new border wall and highlights the acknowledgement that US immigration policy is not entirely welcoming.

What has changed?

Authorities have been overwhelmed by a recent surge of migrants at the border this autumn. The visuals depict numerous individuals unlawfully crossing, with incidents of stowaways on train rooftops causing a temporary closure of the international railway bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, in the previous month.

In northern blue states, governors and mayors are increasingly vocal and pressing in their demands for the White House to take stronger actions in order to curb the influx of migrants entering the US and heading towards the north.

"The detrimental effects of federal policies are now significantly affecting the residents of Chicago," expressed Mayor Brandon Johnson in a news conference this week, expressing his frustration.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter to the White House demanding federal coordination to deal with people crossing the border.

Who is in charge?

The current system, where migrants are bused north as a political statement by Republican governors, should be replaced by a better approach in which the federal government oversees border policy. Pritzker and Johnson expressed their frustrations to White House officials during a conference call on Sunday, as reported by CNN.

Adams, who has been expressing his frustration with the federal government for several months, is currently undertaking a trip to Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia this week with the aim of dissuading asylum-seekers from making the journey to the United States, particularly New York City.

"According to Adams, our resources are fully utilized and we are unable to accommodate any more individuals," he stated.

Adams intends to travel to the Darien Gap, an underdeveloped mountainous area located between Colombia and Panama. This region serves as a transit route for numerous migrants who make payments to cartels.

In September, CNN covered the strained relationship between the White House and the mayor of New York.

Shortly after, the Biden administration extended the Temporary Protected Status program to encompass around 500,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers. This extension facilitated their acquisition of work permits at a faster pace. However, this broad action may have inadvertently weakened the administration's efforts to diminish the influx of migrants, as it had previously pledged to enact a stringent policy for undocumented individuals crossing the border in May.

What does polling suggest?

Gallup's surveys reveal a notable rise in the percentage of Americans who advocate for reduced immigration to the US. This figure currently stands at 41%, representing the highest level since 2014. Moreover, a majority of individuals support either maintaining the current levels of immigration (31%) or implementing an increase (26%). Over the years, Democrats have traditionally demonstrated more support for immigration compared to Republicans. However, it is worth mentioning that Democrats' backing for increased immigration has declined since 2021, marking a departure from the previous trend of steady growth.

At capacity in New York

Over the past year, approximately 120,000 migrants have made their way to New York City by buses, with a significant number coming from southern states led by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. However, New York City, with its policy of providing shelter and meals for the migrants, has faced challenges in terms of both securing adequate space and acquiring sufficient funding for this purpose.

Earlier this month, CNN stayed overnight at the Roosevelt Hotel, which ceased operations as a commercial establishment due to the pandemic. Presently, the hotel is being utilized as temporary housing for migrants.

City authorities in New York have confirmed that this year they will allocate $5 billion to accommodate the increasing number of migrants, placing significant strain on the city.

Catch-22 on work

Individuals escaping violence in countries such as Venezuela or Haiti are required to remain in the country for 150 days before they can apply for a temporary work permit, to avoid compromising their asylum status. Proposals for state-level work permits, such as the one suggested by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have been dismissed at the national level. This results in a system where migrants, who ultimately aim to remain and work, are unable to secure employment upon arrival.

Bidens move to allow Venezuelans access to work permits was meant to address these concerns.

Why not just change the work rules?

Updating immigration laws may be necessary, but lawmakers have made little progress in decades, even if the House of Representatives were functioning smoothly. Furthermore, the backlog in the judicial system responsible for handling migrant cases results in significant delays.

A dangerous trek

In April, a remarkable report was delivered by a CNN team, chronicling the harrowing expedition through the treacherous terrain of the Darien Gap. The team interviewed individuals who shared their reasons for leaving their residences and faithfully documented their perilous journey through the muddy and hazardous area.

Revisit that report: A cartel makes millions off the American dream

More recently, CNN talked to migrants at the southern border of Mexico as they prepared to travel north toward the United States.

"Numerous stories emerge from the individuals residing here, primarily Venezuelan natives, explaining their reasons for leaving their homes and detailing the hardships they have encountered thus far on their voyage to Ciudad Hidalgo," as CNN's David Culver elucidates. "While the adults occasionally display emotional outbursts, it is truly startling to witness the children's composed and matter-of-fact narratives." Access the full report.

This issue further fuels the ongoing discussion in the United States on how to promote stability in Central and South American nations, with Venezuela being a key focus, as numerous migrants embark on this journey in search of a better life in the US.