Reporters pressed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday on the border crisis as illegal migrants continue to land in liberal cities.
Reporters pressed her on the White House’s position on the migrant crisis after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday evening. NBC News Chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker specifically asked her about Vice President Kamala Harris’ claims that the U.S.-Mexico border is “secure.”
“The Vice President said to a colleague, Chuck Todd, over the weekend ‘the border is secure.’ She also caveated that to say we also have a broken immigration system and the need to fix that. But, does the White House stand by those comments that the border is secure?” Welker asked.
“What we stand by is that we are doing everything we can to make sure that we follow the process that’s been put forth. That’s why we have historic funding to do just that and make sure that the folks that we encounter at the border be removed or expelled and again, more individuals encountered at the border will be removed or expelled this year than in any previous year.”
“Is the border secure, Karine?” she asked. “Is the border secure?”
The press secretary reiterated Harris’ claims that the border is secure, but more work needs to be done. She assured the administration is removing people apprehended at the border.
She then accused Republicans of using the migrant crisis as a “political pawn” instead of supporting funding that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs or passing legislation to reform immigration. She then cited NPR, which reported that a migrant in Florida believed they were going to Boston to get expedited work papers before landing in Martha’s Vineyard.
A separate White House reporter questioned whether the White House is “doing enough” to handle the border crisis, given the surge in crossings and drownings in the past year. Jean-Pierre said the White House has removed and expelled a record number of border crossers.
“What we have been doing is doing the work that wasn’t done by the last administration,” Jean-Pierre said. “We are fixing a broken system, it is not like turning the light switch on, it is going to take some time but I’ll say this. More individuals encountered at the border will be removed or expelled this year than in any previous year. That is something of the work that the DHS has been doing and how we have been moving forward and making sure that we are doing out part here. We have made over 3,000 arrests in the last three months of launching an aggressive campaign to combat the multi-billion dollar human smuggler industry. So we have seen the work that we have done and how it’s been effective.”
She touted the new border technology and work with Mexico and Guatemala to address root causes of immigration.
Additionally, Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked the press secretary if she believes most Americans think the border is secure, in reference to Harris’ comments. The press secretary said the administration is “fixing a broken system” left behind by former President Donald Trump’s administration. (RELATED: Karine Jean-Pierre Calls Bussing Of Migrants To Liberal Cities ‘Shameful’ As Border Crisis Continues)
“This is an immigration system that is fundamentally broken and it’s going to take some time. But we also need Congress to take action. We need Congress to act and to work with us on fixing this immigration system and what we’re seeing from Republican governors is not the way to do it. It is again, and I’ll keep saying this, it is cruel what they’re doing to children and to families.”
“Isn’t there some risk though that voters might feel like they’re being lied to when we’re seeing images of El Paso, where they released 1,000 migrants on the street because the processing centers are overwhelmed there, how is that humane, how is that safe as you guys talk about so often when it’s overwhelming border cities and they’re asking the Biden administration to reimburse them with charter buses to get them out of the area because they’re overwhelmed,” Heinrich said.
Jean-Pierre repeated that the system is broken and “decimated” by the Trump administration due to constructing a wall that was breached 3,000 times. Heinrich asked if she has a message for the migrants who say the border is open, to which she said the administration is working to fix the system.