Obama calls open borders ‘unsustainable,’ migrant crisis ‘heartbreaking’

Former President Obama referred to as for complete immigration reform to repair a “dysfunctional” system because the Biden administration grapples with what he referred to as a “heartbreaking” migrant crisis on the southern border. 

Obama, throughout an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Tuesday, mentioned reform to the U.S. immigration system is “something that is long overdue.” He added that immigration is a “tough” concern as a result of Americans wish to be compassionate however that the U.S. having open borders is  an “unsustainable” thought.

Obama’s feedback come after greater than 14,000 Haitian migrants camped below a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after a surge in border crossings. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas admitted Sunday that the overwhelming majority of Haitian migrants who crossed the southern U.S. border in latest weeks have already been launched into the United States and it’s doable that extra will observe them.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS OVER 200,000 AGAIN IN AUGUST, AS BORDER SURGE CONTINUES

So far, roughly 12,400 of the persons are having their circumstances heard by immigration judges, whereas one other 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security. Only 3,000 are in detention.

Obama mentioned the scenario in Del Rio “is a painful reminder that we don’t have this right yet and we’ve got more work to do.” 

“As big-hearted as he’s, no one understands that higher than Joe Biden,” Obama mentioned. “And the question is now: Are we gonna get serious about dealing with this problem in a systemic way, as opposed to these one-offs where we’re constantly reacting to emergencies? And I think that that’s something that every American should wanna put an end to.”

Obama added that “immigration is tough” and “always has been.”

“Immigration is tough. It always has been because, on the one hand, I think we are naturally a people that wants to help others,” Obama mentioned. “And we see tragedy and hardship and families that are desperately trying to get here so that their kids are safe, and they’re in some cases fleeing violence or catastrophe.”

He added: “At the same time, we’re a nation state. We have borders. The idea that we can just have open borders is something that … as a practical matter, is unsustainable.”

The Biden administration has confronted fierce criticism for its dealing with of the crisis alongside the U.S.-Mexico border, which Republican critics have blamed on the dramatic rollback of Trump-era insurance policies, like border wall development and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). It has additionally narrowed inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) priorities and pushed arduous for legalization of unlawful immigrants already within the nation. It has additionally been releasing migrants into the inside, processing UACs to sponsors already within the nation and releasing migrant households — angering Republican governors and different lawmakers.

MAYORKAS SAYS AS MANY AS 12K OUT OF 17K MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO US, AND ‘IT COULD BE HIGHER’

There have been greater than 200,000 migrant encounters on the southern border in August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed earlier this month, the second month in a row the place the quantity has been over the 200,000 mark as migrants proceed to try to enter the U.S.

Fox News first reported that there have been 208,887 encounters in August. While it marks the primary lower in migrant encounters seen below the Biden administration, the place migrant encounters have been sharply rising for months, it’s only a 2% drop over the greater than 212,000 encounters in July.

CRUZ BLAMES BIDEN FOR HAITIAN MIGRANT CRISIS, CITES ‘CANCELED’ DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

The Biden administration has pushed again, blaming the Trump administration for sealing off authorized pathways to asylum whereas emphasizing the position that root causes – like poverty, violence and corruption in Central America – play in encouraging migrants to journey north.

Mayorkas mentioned the administration intends to proceed with its border technique, which he mentioned entails rebuilding “safe, legal and orderly pathways for migrants,” enhancing processing, and going after smugglers.

“We have a plan, we are executing our plan and that takes time,” he mentioned in August, when he introduced the July border numbers.

He additionally informed border brokers in audio leaked to Fox News that the scenario is “unsustainable.”

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.