Joe Biden: I would close the Mexican border 'right now' if Congress would let me

Immigrants ford the Rio Grande as they cross the border from Mexico into the United States. Photo: Getty/John Moore

Joe Biden said he would close the US-Mexico border «right now» if Congress gives him the authority to pass sweeping immigration legislation.

Biden's plans unveiled in Friday, will give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to close the border. border if the number of illegal crossings exceeds 4,000 per day, and order it to do so if that figure exceeds 5,000.

Only legal ports of entry staffed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection will remain open.

“A bipartisan bill would be good for America, help fix our broken immigration system and provide quick access to those who deserve to be here, and Congress needs to get it done,” Mr. Biden said.

< p>I will also give myself, as President, emergency powers to close the border until it is back under control. If this bill were law today, I would close the border right now and fix it quickly.»

A surge in illegal migrants crossing the southern border has become a key issue in the presidential election. The number of migrants often exceeds 10,000 per day.

Official data released by border officials showed a record 302,034 migrants tried to cross the border last month.

Mr. Biden depends on Congress passing a bipartisan bill that would not only tighten immigration rules but also open up more aid to Ukraine as part of an overall $110 million spending package.

But while Senate Republicans appear willing to do business, Donald Trump has refused to support any compromise.

“As the leader of our party, I have no chance of supporting this terrible betrayal of America with open borders. This will not happen, and I will fight it as hard as I can,” Trump said Saturday in Nevada.

“I've noticed that a lot of senators, a lot of senators are trying to say, with all due respect, they blame me for this. I said it's okay, please blame it on me. Please, because they were preparing to pass a very bad bill. And I'll tell you what: bad score. I'd rather have no bill than a bad bill.»

Trump's position has put him at odds with Republican senators, who, led by leader Mitch McConnell, have shown a willingness to negotiate with Biden.

But Trump enjoys the support of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. where Speaker Mike Johnson called the bill «dead on arrival» despite the fact that all the details of the law have not yet been revealed.

The border crisis has also put the Biden administration at odds with Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, who has unilaterally taken a series of measures, including installing floating barriers on the Rio Grande, to secure the border . Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the federal government's right to cut down 30 miles of razor wire erected along the Texas border in an initiative dubbed Operation Lone Star.

Mr. Abbott was endorsed by 25 Republican governors, who praised him for «stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists infiltrating our country.»