Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, criticized President Joe Biden Wednesday night for failing to put forth a proposal to handle the “immediate crisis at the border.”
ARIZONA DEMOCRATIC SENATORS LAMENT SOUTHERN BORDER ‘CRISIS’
“While I share President Biden’s urgency in fixing our broken immigration system, what I didn’t hear tonight was a plan to address the immediate crisis at the border, and I will continue holding this administration accountable to deliver the resources and staffing necessary for a humane, orderly process as we work to improve border security, support local economies, and fix our immigration system,” Kelly said in a statement.
Biden referenced the immigration issue in his remarks at the joint address to Congress Wednesday night but only in the specific context of blaming the previous administration for the migrant surge, passing a “comprehensive immigration bill,” and pointing to the violence and natural disasters from migrants’ countries of origin.
“Now, if Congress won’t pass my plan — let’s at least pass what we agree on. Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for the Dreamers — the young people who have only known America as their home,” Biden said. “And permanent protections for immigrants on temporary protected status who come from countries beset by man-made and natural-made violence and disaster.”
Kelly, along with fellow Arizona Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, previously called on Biden to reimburse their state for the additional 250 Arizona National Guard members Gov. Doug Ducey announced he would send to the U.S.- Mexico border to assist local law enforcement efforts.
Kelly, on Thursday, told reporters he is talking to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the president about the issue.
“I think it’s important that we continue to stress that we have a major issue. Folks said the definition of a crisis is different. I look at it as a crisis. We’re making some positive steps. We need to do more,” Kelly said, adding that he has asked the administration for additional resources and support at the border.
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“I think it is important for our border states, and I think it would have been a positive thing to hear something at that address,” Kelly added.
