President Biden has been under much pressure for months to show how tough he is at the border. On Wednesday night, at a campaign dinner, he tried to show his support for America’s long history of immigration. He made fun of Japan and India, two of America’s allies, saying that they are having trouble with their economies “because they’re xenophobic.” He said that these two free countries, along with Russia and China, “don’t want immigrants.” The administration has spent years trying to get along with the governments of Japan and India as part of the president’s plan to stop Chinese bullying in the area. These words could cause problems with international relations.
The White House’s national security director, John F. Kirby, told reporters Thursday that Mr. Biden was talking about America’s “immigrant DNA” and not trying to insult other countries. He made sure that people in charge in India and Japan knew that. However, the president’s words also show that Biden is trying to find a middle ground on immigration that will make him more popular with voters as he runs for a second term in the White House.
Republicans and Democrats were angry about the enormous numbers of people coming to the southern border. In response, the president signed the strictest immigration law in years. Congress didn’t move forward with that bill, but now Biden is thinking about whether to use his executive power to crack down hard on asylum on his own. At the same time, Biden is trying to show that he is morally superior when it comes to how the country treats migrants by comparing it to the actions of former President Donald J. Trump, who has been fighting immigration for years.
Many people who support immigrants have said that they thought Biden’s White House would continue to support what the president called a “humane” approach to immigration. As things got worse, demand for tougher action on the border grew, even from Democrats who support the president in big places like Chicago, New York, and Denver. There are new legal ways for Biden’s fellow Democrats to come to the United States, but his policies and words have become harsher.