Sunday morning, President Biden departed Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One for El Paso, Texas, his first visit to the southern border since assuming office two years ago.
Biden, 80, is rumored to be “all in” on a reelection bid in 2024 and is expected to announce his intentions within a couple of weeks. He has been widely criticized for his failure to control the number of migrants crossing the US border and for repealing a number of programs initiated by former President Donald Trump that contributed to the escalation.
The president’s appearance at the border coincides with US Border Patrol officials expressing extreme frustration with the ongoing situation and dismissing his first visit to the region as insufficient.
Biden is scheduled to spend part of Sunday in El Paso, where he will meet with local and border patrol officials and get a first-hand look at the immigration crisis, before traveling to Mexico City for a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
On Saturday, migrants form a queue at the border near El Paso, Texas.
President Biden waves as he boards Air Force One for the flight to El Paso, Texas, on Sunday.
According to the White House, he was accompanied on the aircraft by Homeland Security Secretary Alejando Mayorkas, Democratic Representatives Henry Cuellar, Veronica Escobar, and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, and a number of government officials.
John Kirby, White House national security spokesman and member of the team, stated, “The president is looking forward to seeing the border security situation with his own eyes.” This is something he desired to experience for himself.
According to US Customs and Border Protection numbers issued in October, more than 2.4 million migrants crossed the almost 2,000-mile southern border with Mexico during fiscal year 2022.
Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital this week, “We are beyond frustrated that it took him two years” “We are beyond frustrated that he has allowed this situation to become so dire. He is not coming to the border of his own volition.” He would have accomplished this long, long ago.”
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