President Biden repeats promise to close the border ‘right now’ if Congress strikes a deal

• President Biden on closing the border.
• He tells Congress to send him a funding deal.
• He promises to address the border crisis.

Seeking a solution! With little time left for the president to secure funding for Ukraine, Biden has made a surprising promise.

President Biden told Republicans in Congress that he’s prepared to close the border «right now» if they send him a funding deal.

He said that he will not hesitate to take significant measures to control migration, in an attempt to disarm his Republican critics.

If Congress and Biden reach an agreement, the border would be temporarily closed if more than 5,000 migrants attempt to cross illegally in one day.

President Biden on closing the border

In an effort to secure approval for a border agreement in Congress, as well as release funds for Ukraine, Biden made a surprising proposal.

President Biden announced on the evening of Saturday, January 27, he would be willing to close the border between the United States and Mexico under certain circumstances, according to The Associated Press.

This authority will be tied to a bill that also unlocks money for Ukraine.

This unexpected proposal by the president is an attempt to call Republicans’ bluff over their criticism of how he’s handling immigration.

What did Biden say?

The Democratic president said at a political event in South Carolina that he would close the border «right now» if Congress brings him a deal that includes money for Ukraine.

«A bipartisan bill would be good for America and help fix our broken immigration system,» Biden said.

Although the framework of the agreement has not yet been approved by Senate Democrats or Republicans, he noted that Congress should make a decision.

«[A]nd allow speedy access for those who deserve to be here, and Congress needs to get it done,» added the U.S. president.

‘I’d shut down the border right now’

The president expressed his support for a bipartisan bill that, according to him, would benefit the United States and confirmed that his desire is to get the border under control.

«It’ll also give me as president, the emergency authority to shut down the border until it could get back under control,» he said.

These statements also caused an impact in light of his rejection of Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott’s immigration policies.

«If that bill were the law today, I’d shut down the border right now and fix it quickly,» highlighted President Biden.

Biden on closing the border: What would this mean?

The agreement being discussed would require the border to be closed if 5,000 immigrants illegally cross on any one day.

This is a response to record numbers of over 10,000 crossings in a single day last year, according to The Associated Press.

Former President Donald Trump has been pressuring Republicans to end negotiations.

He has made it clear he wants the border to continue to be an issue during his presidential campaign.

Trump opposes a deal

At this point talks seem to be falling apart due to Trump’s warnings to conservative lawmakers.

Biden, in a written statement, emphasized that the agreement would give him «new emergency authority» to close the border.

Furthermore, he said that he would use that authority on the same day the bill is signed, according to the AP.

This statement surprised immigrant advocates, who say that this does not reflect the progressive approach they expected from Biden.

What do Republicans say?

House Speaker Mike Johnson sent Biden a letter on Saturday urging him to take immediate executive action to address the migration crisis.

Johnson argued that congressional action is not needed to close the border as Biden has requested.

He pointed out the arrestes illegal crossings at the Mexico border, which reached a historic high in December.

Border Patrol recorded 249,785 arrests, an increase of 31% since November and 13% more than in December 2022, according to the AP.