McCarthy says Biden has ‘failed to listen or act’ on border crisis, as February numbers climb

FIRST ON FOX: Home Republican Chief Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday stated that President Biden has “did not pay attention or act” on the disaster on the southern border, and cautioned towards a possible transfer by the administration to finish Title 42 border protections – simply as February’s border numbers confirmed a 63% enhance over the identical time final yr.

In a press release to Fox Information, McCarthy famous that it was a yr in the past that he and fellow Home Republicans visited the southern border to warn a few brewing disaster, which GOP lawmakers have repeatedly put right down to Biden’s rollback of Trump-era border insurance policies.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT SOUTHERN BORDER IN FEBRUARY SURGED 63% OVER LAST YEAR: CBP DATA

“One yr in the past immediately, Home Republicans first sounded the alarm on the southern border and for over a yr President Biden has did not pay attention or act,” McCarthy stated.

McCarthy was responding to new border numbers that present that there have been 164,973 encounters in February, in comparison with 101,099 encounters in February final yr — a 63% enhance.

The Biden administration has sought guilty root causes like poverty and local weather change in Central America, in addition to the Trump administration’s ending of authorized asylum pathways, for the surge in migrants during the last yr. There have been greater than 1.7 million migrant encounters in FY 2021. Already in FY 2022 there have been 838,685.

However Republicans have as an alternative pointed to the rollback of Trump-era insurance policies such because the Migrant Safety Protocols (MPP) and border wall development, in addition to decreased inside enforcement and requires amnesty for unlawful immigrants already within the nation. 

They’ve additionally been sounding the alarm about reviews that the Biden administration is planning to finish Title 42 — which has been utilized by each the Biden and Trump administrations to expel migrants coming to the border because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prime Democrats and immigration activists have been pushing for Title 42 to be scrapped, and the administration has reportedly been planning to take action, regardless of fears that it’ll result in a brand new migrant surge on the border. Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer lately known as it “unacceptable” that Title 42 remained in place.

DEMS CALL FOR BIDEN TO END TITLE 42 BORDER PROTECTIONS, DESPITE FEARS OF LOOMING MIGRANT SURGE

McCarthy known as Title 42 an “important device” in securing the border, and warned that ending it could solely make the continuing disaster worse.

“As a substitute of working with Republicans to safe the border, crack down on violent cartels, finish the epidemic of human trafficking, and cease the circulation of lethal fentanyl into our communities, the Biden administration is contemplating eliminating an important device in border safety, Title 42, which might solely exacerbate this unprecedented disaster,” he stated. 

“Biden should take away the incentives for unlawful immigration and take steps to safe our southern border instantly,” he added.

Republicans have known as on the administration to complete constructing the wall on the southern border, preserve implement Title 42, and ship a clearer message to migrants to not come to the U.S. They’ve additionally known as for the administration to completely reinstate MPP — generally known as the “Stay-in-Mexico” coverage.

The Biden administration scrapped the coverage, however later was pressured to reinstate it by a federal court docket which discovered officers had ended it unlawfully. Whereas it has begun re-implementing the coverage, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has promised to finish it as quickly because the administration is ready to in compliance with the court docket order.