President Joe Biden is weighing in on whether he has plans to visit the southern border.
A reporter asked Biden if he has any plans to visit the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden replied, “Not at the moment.”
Biden tells reporters he has no plans to visit the southern border "at the moment." pic.twitter.com/8MQESHTtH0
— The Recount (@therecount) March 16, 2021
Biden is facing an increased amount of pressure from members of both parties to address the situation.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called the situation a “Biden border crisis,” as IJR reported.
“The sad part about all of this, it didn’t have to happen. This crisis is created by the presidential policies of this new administration,” McCarthy said during a visit to the border Monday.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) revealed his thoughts on the matter, “Whatever message was sent — it was sure interpreted the wrong way. It’s a crisis — oh it’s a crisis.”
As of Sunday morning, more than 4,200 unaccompanied migrant children were being held in short-term holding facilities.
The White House coordinator for the southern border, Roberta Jacobson told CNN Tuesday the Biden administration’s immigration policy is a “more humane system,” as IJR reported.
Still, she said it does not mean “open borders.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas claimed the Biden administration is “building the capacity to address the needs of those children when they arrive but we are also and critically sending an important message that now is not the time to come to the border.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last week the administration is looking for “additional facilities” to “safely house” migrant children.