Biden’s Allies Are Preparing For Onslaught Of Republican Criticism As The Border Reopens

President Joe Biden’s allies are reportedly preparing for an onslaught of Republican criticism as the southern border reopens, Politico reported Tuesday.

The Biden administration is expected to reopen the southern border, starting with an expected lift of Trump-era public health order Title 42 that allows border officials to rapidly expel most migrants, Politico reported. Biden’s allies are reportedly concerned that the president is not ready for the logistical and political effects of the re-opening and the expected criticism from Republicans.

Biden is expected to end Title 42 restrictions for family units by July 31 and will likely lift restrictions for single adults at a later date, people familiar with the discussions reportedly said, Politico reported. Immigration advocates have criticized the continued implementation of Title 42 and say the rollback of the order should have happened sooner.

Biden administration officials and immigration experts predict lifting the restrictions will cause an increase in the number of migrants arriving at the border, according to Politico. It’s unclear whether the administration will detain the migrants or if officials will rerelease them into the U.S. as their immigration cases proceed through courts.

“The administration is repeating the mistakes of 2015 by underestimating the power of a border security argument,” National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani told Politico. “And, as a result, they run the risk of losing the moderate voters who said, ‘You know what, I want a more rational approach to immigration, but still one that keeps us safe.’”

Republicans reportedly plan to focus on the Biden administration’s handling of an increased number of encounters at the southern border as campaign materials for the 2022 midterm elections, Politico reported.

Around 53% of voters said they were less likely to vote for Democratic congressional candidates because of the increase in arrivals at the southern border, in a poll of 1,200 likely voters conducted by the National Republican Senate Committee and the Republican Governors Association found. Some 23% of respondents said they’re more likely to support the Democratic candidate, the poll had a margin of error of about 2.8%.

“As Republicans at the local, state, and federal level are stepping up to lead our nation through this growing crisis, Americans are taking note — voters across the country have rejected Biden’s failed leadership at the border,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Emma Vaughn said, Politico reported.

Border officials encountered over 180,000 migrants at the southern border in May and have used Title 42 to expel more than 867,000 migrants since March 2020, according to Customs and Border Protection. Over 60% of May encounters resulted in a Title 42 expulsion in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.