New York Times reporter Michael Shear left top White House officials frazzled after confronting them about the Biden administration’s dismal record on immigration.
What is the background?
On Thursday, Biden announced new immigration policies meant to address the ongoing border crisis.
The plan includes expanding a “parole” program meant to incentivize legal immigration. On the other hand, Biden announced stiffer consequences for migrants who illegally enter the U.S. The Biden administration also announced an expansion Title 42 expulsions.
What did Shear say?
On Friday, Shear told John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, that immigration advocacy groups, for all their disdain of Donald Trump, never reacted as strongly against Trump as they did against Biden’s latest move.
According to Shear, one leading pro-migrant figure condemned Biden’s actions as “a humanitarian disgrace.”
“That was echoed across the board in literally scores of emails I got from every humanitarian group,” Shear told Kirby.
Kirby responded that “obviously, we take a different view.” He explained that Biden is trying to strike a “balance” between expanding legal pathways for migrants while stepping up “enforcement mechanisms” against migrants who illegally enter the U.S.
Later in the briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called out Shear, who then suggested that Biden’s policies are undermining his own promises.
“Lawsuits are going to be filed in the same way that lawsuits, you know, were filed against the Trump administration over and over and over again about their immigration policies,” Shear said. “This time, it’ll be against you guys. That puts this president, who spent so much time on the campaign trail talking about how he wanted to be different than Donald Trump when it came to immigration issues — I mean, it just puts you guys in a really awkward place, doesn’t it?”
The assertion triggered Jean-Pierre, who responded by attacking Trump.
“I have to say, Michael, I take — look, I understand what you’re saying,” she said. “But I do take issue with comparing us to Donald Trump.”
Jean-Pierre then claimed that the Trump administration “tore babies away from their moms, from their parents, from their families,” which she said was part of Trump’s immigration “philosophy.”
What Jean-Pierre did not include in her response, however, is that immigration groups have repeatedly criticizedthe Biden administrationfor separating migrant children from their families.
01/06/23: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierreyoutu.be