White House adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms on Sunday cited the disruption caused by presidential travel as one reason why President Biden has not been to the southern border, a criticism made by Republicans amid a crisis that has seen record numbers of immigrants cross. in the USA.
“Well, you have to remember… when the President travels, it’s not like you or I jump on a plane and get off and go to our destination. Everything stops. So all of these things are in consideration for the President — is that the best use of resources, all the resources that will be diverted to the field when the President makes a visit,” Bottoms told CBS’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation “. .
Her comments come as the Title 42 immigration policy implemented during the Trump administration over public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire on Wednesday, sparking renewed concerns about a crisis at the border.
The border city of El Paso, Texas, has declared a state of emergency as it deals with an influx of asylum seekers just days before Title 42 is expected to expire.
Bottoms clarified that she could not speak specifically to why the president has not made a visit to the border, but said that “it is a little more worrisome for the President of the United States to travel” than it is for other Americans.
The White House adviser emphasized that Biden is working on this issue from the Oval Office.
“It’s something he ran on, and what we know over the last two years, everything the president has run, he’s put time and resources into addressing it. So immigration, we know, is a problem he didn’t create. Our issues with immigration are decades-long issues, and he will continue to push through the bottom line through the White House and Congress to get comprehensive immigration reform done,” Bottoms said.
