(Washington) US President Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he “would make a speech (Thursday) on border security”, a politically sensitive topic as migrant arrivals from Mexico reach record highs.
The Democrat, who had earlier in the day let it be known that he would go to the border area, added that he wanted to “see what is going on there”.
The subject of immigration is particularly sensitive for the White House, which is struggling for the moment to put in place a sustainable strategy to manage arrivals at the border with Mexico, which is 3000 kilometers long.
The Biden administration’s immigration policy so far has largely depended on a measure put in place by former President Donald Trump, which severely restricts entry into the territory in the name of health concerns.
This legal device, known as “Title 42”, has been the subject of several legal battles. The Supreme Court decided to uphold it on December 27, pending a decision on the merits next spring.
The migration crisis on the southern border is one of the favorite subjects of the Republican opposition, which criticizes Joe Biden for being blind in the matter and regularly asks the American president as well as Vice-President Kamala Harris to get there.
Human rights activists are critical of the measure now in place, which allows for immediate eviction, without legal recourse.
Many US states are warning of an influx of migrants once Title 42 is lifted, as illegal arrivals at the US border with Mexico are already breaking historic records, with more 200,000 arrests in November alone.