“The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people. We couldn't do two things at once,” Biden told reporters on Saturday after playing a round of golf in Wilmington, Delaware. “And now we're going to increase the numbers.”
Biden on refugee cap (and refers to the situation at the border as a “crisis”): “The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people and we couldn’t do two things at once. And now we’re going to increase the numbers.”
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) April 17, 2021
For the first time since taking office, President Biden is golfing. He’s hitting the links at Wilmington Country Club, not far from his home. (Course looks pretty crowded today.) pic.twitter.com/TGubphIb9y
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) April 17, 2021
Biden had pledged to boost the cap to 62,500 in the current fiscal year and to 125,000 in fiscal 2022. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) called Biden's failure to raise the number on Friday “utterly unacceptable” and contrary to the promises that caused people to vote for him. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich called the move “a shameful broken promise.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a statement later on Friday, following the backlash, saying that Biden would announce a higher refugee cap by May 15. Biden has been consulting with advisers on how many refugees the US can accommodate through the end of September, she said, and given the “decimated” program that he inherited from Trump and the current border “burdens” on the Office of Refugee Settlement, “his initial goal of 62,500 seems unlikely.”
Statement from @PressSec on the emergency presidential determination on refugee admissions for FY2021. pic.twitter.com/wsixXKFmtU
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 16, 2021
Biden has suffered politically on the immigration issue, with just 29% of Americans in a Quinnipiac poll saying they approve of his handling of the border. Illegal border crossings and apprehensions of unaccompanied minors have surged to record highs after Biden's policies encouraged families to send their children to the US with smugglers.
The Biden Admin has gone to great lengths not to call the border situation a crisis.
— Abigail Marone (@abigailmarone) April 17, 2021
President Biden just admitted it was a crisis. https://t.co/jjvXWQb8ca
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