Psaki Defends Biden’s Immigration Agenda After Trump Criticizes ‘The Spiraling Tsunami’ at the Southern Border

On Tuesday, President Biden insisted that there was no crisis at the southern border and that his administration would be able to handle the situation.

Today, former President Trump weighed in on the situation and in a statement, he derided the Biden administration’s immigration agenda, arguing that the reversal of numerous Trump era policies intended to restrict immigration had led to a crisis on the border.

In the statement, Trump argued it is “totally out of control” and that “The spiraling tsunami at the border is overwhelming local communities, depleting budgets, crowding hospitals, and taking jobs from legal American workers.

“When I left office, we had achieved the most secure border in our country’s history. Under Biden, it will soon be worse, more dangerous, and more out of control than ever before. He has violated his oath of office to uphold our Constitution and enforce our laws,” he added.

New statement: @realDonaldTrump slams Biden’s open borders policies pic.twitter.com/HMANut8JRk

— Big League Politics (@bigleaguepol) March 5, 2021

Not long after the statement was released, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the Biden administration’s immigration agenda at a press briefing.

Psaki stated, “We don’t take our advice or counsel from former President Trump on immigration policy, which was not only inhumane but ineffective over the last four years.”

“We’re going to chart our own path forward, and that includes treating children with humanity and respect,” Psaki added.

From The Hill:

The Biden administration is grappling with a rapid influx of migrants, with thousands of unaccompanied minors being apprehended in the president’s first several weeks in office.

Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have disputed that the situation amounts to a crisis. But the administration is taking additional steps to try to get a handle on the rising number of migrants at the border, including opening additional facilities to house young migrants.

“President Biden has asked senior members of his team to travel to the border region in order to provide a full briefing to him on the government response to the influx of unaccompanied minors and an assessment of additional steps that can be taken to ensure the safety and care of these children,” White House assistant press secretary Vedant Patel said in a statement late Thursday.