2:55 PM ET, February 29, 2024
The border trip marks a dramatic shift for Biden
From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Hammering Republicans over President Joe Biden's U.S.-Mexico border, the failed Senate border bill, which included tougher border security measures, marked a dramatic shift from the White House.
Since Biden took office, officials have grappled with record exodus across the Western Hemisphere spurred by the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. Images of thousands of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border have stymied the administration as it wrestled with how to manage the diverse nationalities — a marked change from previous years.
As the issue became a political liability for Biden, the White House debates about the border were often tense, sources told CNN. The last time Biden visited the southern border of the United States was in January 2023 when he visited El Paso, Texas.
But now, the White House is trying to take advantage of Republicans' pushback from the Senate border bill — and take a swipe at the GOP on border security.. As an example, last week at the annual meeting of the governors at the White House, Biden cited the agreement, calling it “the strongest border agreement the country has ever seen.” Officials placed a fact sheet detailing the compromise at each table where the governors sat.
Biden is also considering sweeping executive action to limit the ability of immigrants to seek asylum in the United States if they cross the border illegally.
