President Joe Biden called on Congress to help him secure the Southern Border during his state of the union address Tuesday, saying his administration has already taken action to stem the flow of illegal immigration.
Biden’s first year in office has seen record-breaking levels of illegal immigration, with border apprehensions skyrocketing throughout the year. Biden highlighted the efforts his administration has already made to cut down on border crossing, including (RELATED: DOJ Ends Case Quota For Immigration Judges Set By Trump Admin)
“If we are to advance liberty and justice, we need to secure the Border and fix the immigration system. We can do both,” Biden said. “At our border, we’ve installed new technology like cutting-edge scanners to better detect drug smuggling. We’ve set up joint patrols with Mexico and Guatemala to catch more human traffickers.”
WATCH:
Biden did not mention his appointment of Vice President Kamala Harris as his administration’s border czar. Harris has taken multiple trips to South and Central America in an effort to cut back on the “root causes” of illegal immigration, such as poverty and violence in migrants’ countries of origin. Harris’ efforts have been met with criticism, however, and have had little effect.
Biden also called for creating a path to citizenship not only for Dreamers, but also for farm workers who illegally immigrated to the U.S. (RELATED: Migrants Illegally Crossing US-Mexico Border Thank Biden Administration)
‘We can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led generations of immigrants to this land—my forefathers and so many of yours,” he said. “Provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers. Revise our laws so businesses have the workers they need and families don’t wait decades to reunite.”
“It’s not only the right thing to do—it’s the economically smart thing to do,” he added.