Senate Democrats Divided Over Biden's Tougher Immigration Approach

NEW YORK CITY - Amid an unprecedented influx of immigrants into the U.S. over the past year, President Biden is opting for harsher immigration tactics, including the potential use of executive power to crack down on illegal border crossings.

With the elections right around the corner, what do Senate Democrats think about shifts? Reactions are seemingly mixed.

With tensions running high, and cities like New York and Chicago struggling to accommodate tens of thousands of new arrivals, some Democrats have seen a shift toward a stricter border law preference, while others advocate to continue with more welcoming policies.

Earlier this year, Congress Democrats proposed a bipartisan border deal, which included a measure that would block illegal border crossers from asylum once the number of migrant encounters hit a daily average of 5,000 in a week or 8,500 on a single day. The deal would have also expedited the asylum process and limit the use of parole to release migrants into the U.S.

But despite its intended bipartisanship, House Republicans, with the support of presumptive GOP candidate Donald Trump, killed the bill. Democrats have been criticizing Republicans ever since, arguing they don't really want to address the issue and are only using it for political purposes.

However, most polls show that voters still dislike Democrats' (and Biden's) approach to the issue. And as immigration remains at top of the list for voters ahead of the 2024 elections, they are scrambling to see what their options are.

"Anything that could approximate or resemble what we did with the bipartisan border deal is very important," Sen. Bob Casey told Axios.

Similarly, other Congressmen are urging the White House to get back on the negotiating table to see what the options are.

"Because of that failure, I think it's important that [Biden] take another look and see what he can do," Sen. Mark Jelly told Axios.

Immigration and the border are seemingly a no-win issue for Biden. On the right, the President has received constant attacks for what they call his "open border" policies. But as he has toughened up with his rhetoric and policy proposals, his party remains conflicted, with some vocalizing their frustration at the sudden change.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Alex Padilla, for instance, have urged Biden to use his power to provide pathways to citizenship to undocumented immigrants, rather than banning asylum seekers from "exercising their right to seek safety," as Padilla explains.

Other Senators, who have been critical in the past, are waiting to see if an order materializes and what it would do.

"I'm always willing to take a look at policy," Sen. Ben Ray Lujan told Axios. "But I've been very clear about my concerns in the past associated with policies that have been pushed by some."

When it comes to immigration policy, the Biden administration has also come under attack for not including Congressional Hispanic Caucus and border members in discussions.

Lujan, for instance, is not convinced at the effectiveness of Biden's approach. He wishes he or his colleagues were being included in negotiations.

While he appreciates the White House chief of staff's outreach at times, "many of our colleagues should be at the table having these conversations and I'm not aware of any that are."