Over a dozen vulnerable House Democrats this election cycle wrote President Biden to take executive action on the southern border with Mexico.
According to Tuesday’s letter, first obtained by CBS News, 15 lawmakers from Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan, among other states, asked Mr. Biden to “immediately take further action to restore order at the Southern border and fix our broken immigration system.”
Mr. Biden is struggling on the illegal immigration issue, particularly in battleground states and in districts where some Democrats are trying to keep their seats.
Among the 15 congressional signatories are Elissa Slotkin, who is running for an open Senate seat in Michigan, Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, and Susie Lee and Steven Horsford of Nevada.
The lawmakers say “all of our constituents, no matter our congressional district, have felt the impacts of the current border situation.”
The White House, referencing bipartisan Senate border immigration legislation rejected by House GOP lawmakers because of its weak border proposals, responded to the letter.
A spokesman told the outlet that “congressional Republicans chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security and rejected what border agents have said they need.”
Democrats are attempting to recapture the House majority they lost in 2022 and need to pick up only a few seats to accomplish this goal.
While Republicans struggle to maintain their slim majority and vie to expand their numbers in November, Democrats must protect their own members who are campaigning in swing districts.
An April CBS News poll of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin showed that a majority of likely voters view the U.S.-Mexico border as a major factor in their vote for president.
The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, cites February’s bill killed by Republicans because it would let 5,000 illegals flood the country daily as a sign that Mr. Biden should take executive action on his own.
“It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act,” the letter stated.
“We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration.”
The House last week passed a GOP-authored measure that, in part, denounced “the Biden administration’s open-borders policies.” The resolution passed 223 to 191, with 13 Democrats supporting it. This included Ms. Craig and three other lawmakers who signed Tuesday’s letter to Mr. Biden.
Source:Washington Times
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