Scores of Democrats in Congress criticized President Biden’s executive order Tuesday aimed at severely limiting the number of migrant crossings at the southern border, saying the restriction goes too far.
The disagreement threatens to fracture the party on an issue polling shows is top of mind for Democratic and Republican voters in this election cycle. While some proponents say it could serve as a form of political outreach to independent voters and boost his support, the move infuriated some Democrats who say Biden caved to Republican demands, ignored immigration law and could alienate pieces of the Democratic base.
Biden’s use of executive authority to block migrants’ access to the U.S. asylum system when illegal border crossings exceed 2,500 a day follows several unsuccessful attempts by Congress to find a solution to the issue. A bipartisan bill that repeatedly failed this year would have combined the asylum cap with billions of dollars in additional funding for immigration enforcement. Republicans voted against the bill again last month after opposition from former president and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump and concerns that it would hurt him in an election year.
