The White House signaled that President Biden will issue a slate of immigration-focused executive orders next week but might not include a plan to reunite migrant families — potentially leaving one major campaign promise unmet.
While running for president, Biden vowed to establish a task force to reunite migrant families “on his first day as president,” among other immigration-focused measures. The far-left faction of his party on Capitol Hill has called for dramatic action by the new president to undo many of former President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration edicts.
“We’ll have more to say next week on immigration, the president will, so we’ll have more to report out to you in the next couple days,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Thursday as she was pressed on why the immigration missives will come after nearly 40 others on a slew of topics.
“Sometimes, things change,” Psaki said, adding that a plan for family reunification would be coming “soon.”
Biden was initially expected to deliver his immigration agenda Friday, but reports emerged Thursday stating the plan has been delayed.
“There was an early and draft version of what our executive order plan and schedule looked like … and it was not accurate,” Psaki said.
A memo from White House chief of staff Ron Klain to senior aides and shared with reporters just before Biden’s inauguration indicated several early actions from the president, along with a specific plan to reunite migrant families before Monday.
Biden would “fulfill his promises to restore dignity to our immigration system and our border policies, and start the difficult but critical work of reuniting families separated at the border,” Klain said.
Senate Republicans are blocking the confirmation of Biden’s pick to lead the Homeland Security Department, Alejandro Mayorkas, because of a dispute over immigration policy with the new administration and Senate Democrats.
