President Biden tells illegal migrants to keep out

President Joe Biden on Thursday warned undocumented migrants to stay away from the US border while opening the door to limited legal arrivals from four impoverished countries, in a delicate balancing act on one of the country’s most explosive political issues.

Mr Biden, who is expected soon to declare his bid for a second term, is seeking to thread the needle on an issue where he faces pressure both from anti-immigration Republicans and from leftwing Democrats arguing for greater human rights.

Calling the US immigration system “broken”, Mr Biden also announced he will visit the US-Mexico border town of El Paso in Texas tomorrow, on the eve of a North American leaders’ summit in Mexico City where border security will be a key topic.

Under his new plan, Mr Biden said a controversial rule called Title 42 would be expanded to allow border guards to immediately turn away more would-be migrants if they arrive by land.

“Do not just show up at the border,” he warned in a White House speech.

The toughened measures will stem record numbers of migrant and asylum seekers arriving after epic, often dangerous journeys organised by human smugglers, the White House hopes.

To try and placate critics on the left, the president said up to 30,000 qualifying migrants will be allowed into the United States each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

They must apply in their home countries, have a US sponsor and undergo background checks.

“It’s safe and it’s humane, and it works,” Mr Biden said.

However, he said fully fixing the system requires Congress to legislate and increase funding for the border and immigration infrastructure.

And he hit out at congressional Republicans for refusing to consider more comprehensive reforms put forward by his administration, blaming “extreme Republicans” for the yearslong impasse, and for using immigration problems as an election issue.