Business

Here’s Why Trump Might Sabotage Plan—Backed By Biden—To Close The Border

January 30, 2024

Topline

A much-anticipated crackdown on the southern border that both many Republicans and President Joe Biden support—and which Senate backers say could be voted on this week—might fail just because Donald Trump wants it to, and is pressing his supporters to vote against it.

Trump’s campaign of pressure to senators and public criticism at rallies and on social media may … [+] already be tanking a complex deal.

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Key Facts

At a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the former president continued his campaign to scuttle the deal, which he called a “monstrosity,” saying “there is zero chance I will support this horrible open border betrayal of America,” Trump told supporters on Saturday night, without clearly describing his opposition to the bill.

Trump has made his ability to solve the border crisis his primary campaign message, and his only clear criticism of the bipartisan plan is that the border deal would also mean “billions of dollars to Ukraine and other countries.”

Biden and House Republicans have been in a standoff for months: Biden has sought resuming support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia, while Republicans have withheld that funding until Biden commits to solving the surge in migration at the border.

But Trump appears to not want Biden to notch any success—and his pressure campaign appears to be working: House Speaker Mike Johnson called any bipartisan Senate bill “likely dead on arrival” on Friday, instead sending a letter to Republican colleagues that he would continue to support the GOP’s “Secure the Border Act” which failed to get any Democratic support when it was introduced in May.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) privately said he would still support the Biden-backed bill, while admitting Trump’s criticism has put Republicans in a challenging position, Politico reported.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), one of the lead negotiators, told CNN on Sunday they were “finalizing the last pieces of text right now” and preparing to present the bill on the floor as early as next week.

Chief Critic

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), called Trump’s actions “appalling,” telling reporters that “he does not want us to solve the problem at the border, he wants us to lay the blame of the border at Biden—and the idea that someone running for president would say ‘please hurt the country so I can blame my opponent and help my politics’ is a shocking moment.”

Crucial Quote

“I notice a lot of the Senators… they’re blaming it on me,” Trump said at his Las Vegas rally on Saturday. “I said ‘that’s ok, please blame it on me, please.’”

Big Number

2.4 million. That’s the number of total migrant encounters recorded at the southern border by Customs and Border Patrol in 2023, according to Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security. At his rally on Saturday, Trump claimed “two million illegals crossed the border every single year in the past, and now that number’s changing to maybe eight times that amount,” but the data presented by the committee states that agents only encountered about 3.2 million total migrants across the country last year.

Tangent

On Sunday morning, House Republicans unveiled the text of two new articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which they plan to introduce to the House Homeland Security Committee next week. Mayorkas has faced constant criticism from congressional Republicans for his handling of the border, and faced two impeachment hearings earlier this month. The newly released articles accuse Mayorkas of violating his oath of office by “willfully refus[ing] to comply with numerous detention requirements spelled out by the Immigration and Nationality Act.” The White House has maintained that there is no compelling case against Mayorkas. The DHS also circulated a memo criticizing the articles of impeachment, accusing Republicans of “ignor[ing] the facts, legal scholars and experts, and even the Constitution itself in their quest to baselessly impeach Secretary Mayorkas.” The articles are expected to vote along party lines and advance the articles to a full House vote on Tuesday, Politico reported.

Key Background

In a rare move on Friday, President Biden came out in support of the bipartisan deal to pass sweeping immigration reform measures, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to close the southern border after they encounter a daily average of more than 4,000 migrants over the course of a week. The bill also provides funding for thousands of more border patrol agents, asylum officers and immigration judges to handle the ongoing surge, as well as 100 “cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect and stop fentanyl,” according to the White House. However, many specific details of the bill have not yet been released, including any amount of aid promised for Ukraine should the bill pass. Biden has called thebill a “win for America.”