Months away from the November election, Democrats are looking to seize upon the traditionally Republican issue of border security as a new campaign strategy. The shift comes amid historical levels of illegal immigration via the southern border and as voters raise the issue as a top concern.
Republicans have repeatedly called on the Biden administration to close the border through executive action. Democrats, however, disagree, arguing the president does not have this authority and pointing to past presidents failing to secure the border during their terms as evidence.
Earlier this year, Senate Democrats and Republicans negotiated a bipartisan border bill, which included $20 billion in funding for border security and a mechanism to shut down the border after seven consecutive days with an average of 5,000 illegal immigrants encountered per day, or if more than 8,500 illegal aliens are encountered in a single day. The bill was also rolled into a broader $118 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel. Many Republicans strongly objected to the package, saying it did not do enough to secure the southern border. Senate Republicans blocked the bill in February….
