Why Biden won’t travel to the border

As I described last weekThe border crisis is set to escalate. Tens of thousands of people are still waiting at the Mexican border for Title 42 to be repealed. According to estimates, there could be between 12,000 and 14,000 people arriving at the border every day when that happens. The Biden administration doesn’t have a plan in place to address it.

Joe Biden has remained steadfastly on the sidelines throughout all of this. Biden’s refusal to travel to the border to witness the crisis he created has been a source of perverse pride. Naturally, the media has supported Biden. Paul Waldman, an opinion writer for the media mocking the entire idea of politicians, wrote an opinion piece last month. visiting the border.

…border visits have a special place in the hearts of Republican politicians, who love the photo ops they provide (if you’re lucky, they let you ride in a helicopter(and who roundly criticize Democrats because they don’t do the same type of playacting). Biden gave Vice President Harris the task of coordinating immigration policy in 2013. Republicans quickly made it clear that Harris had not visited the border, tricking media organizations into believing this.demanding She explained why she was reluctant to perform this ritual.

Harris and other Democrats know that Harris’ border photo op was intended to give the impression that immigration isn’t a policy problem but a crisis. It is an emergency that must be experienced firsthand. That’s the message Republicans send at these visits: Things are out of control, it’s an invasion, our country is being overwhelmed by foreigners and something must be done.

Here’s the problem with Waldman’s analysis. The border situation isn’t a policy challenge at this point, it’s a crisis. Arizona Republic: Opinion

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