Republicans slammed President Biden for a newly proposed Department of Homeland Security rule that they claim is just an election-year move to help him in a close match with former President Trump.
“Biden is announcing these new rules on criminal migrants because they have released migrants with links to terrorism into America and are now scrambling to cover themselves in case we have an attack before the election,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on X, formerly Twitter.
DHS announced the proposed rule change, which would move up “statutory bars to asylum” in the evaluation process, last week.
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President Biden faced criticism for the timing of a new rule tightening asylum standards ahead of the election. (Getty Images)
A DHS official told Fox News Digital that the proposed rule would not change any eligibility standards but would only move the assessment of security threats up in the process.
“This rule would enable DHS to more quickly remove those who are subject to the bars and pose a risk to our national security or public safety,” read a press release from the department.
“During his first 100 days, President Biden took 94 executive actions to OPEN the border,” wrote Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on X. “Now, just months before an election, he finally took an obvious step that should have been taken years ago.”
She called the move “small and necessary,” but claimed, “It does nothing to address the larger border crisis he created.”
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The border is a top issue for voters in November. (James Breeden for New York Post/Mega)
This sentiment was echoed by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who said on X: “Less than 6 months before an election, he is attempting 1 small change the narrative on our chaotic border – they already have the authority to do so much more, but they won’t.”
The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital over the criticism.
Biden and Trump are projected to have a close election. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
While Republicans were suspicious of the Biden administration’s motivations for the change, not every Democrat was happy with it either.
An advocate for the rights of asylum-seekers, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on X: “I’m closely reviewing the Administration’s proposed rule. Concerned that moving the asylum bars to the initial credible fear interview stage risks returning legitimate asylum seekers to danger.”
“To improve the asylum system we must fully fund it and provide access to counsel,” he added.
“The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement regarding the rule. “We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system.”
Senate Majority Leader Schumer is considering bringing up Republican-opposed border legislation again. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Mayorkas recently made history by becoming only the second Cabinet official to be impeached, with the House passing two articles against him. The previous Cabinet-level impeachment occurred more than 100 years prior. However, the secretary was not removed from office as Senate Democrats were able to swiftly dismiss the articles upon delivery.
The proposal comes just months ahead of the presidential election in November, which is shaping up to be a close rematch between Biden and Trump.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is also seeking to shift attention back to the border in the legislature, where he is strongly considering reviving a border bill that nearly all Republicans opposed, per a source familiar.
Several incumbent Democratic senators face significant challenges in the upcoming elections, where the party will fight to hold onto its Senate majority.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].
