Joe Biden defended his immigration policy in the face of criticism for the crisis at the southern border
The president of the United States offered his first press conference at the White House, where he assured that he will not apologize for reversing part of Donald Trump's immigration policy after there has been an increase in people trying to cross the border in the last weeks. In addition, he confirmed his intention to run for reelection and addressed foreign policy issues such as China, North Korea and Afghanistan.
President Joe Biden was measured in front of the American press on March 25 for the first time since he was appointed as president. The democrat provided responses for more than an hour on international politics, the pandemic and its future; and tried to address one of the biggest problems that his administration is facing during the first stages of government: the migration crisis on the border with Mexico.
The immigration issue was the main topic of the conference and Biden assured that he will not apologize for reversing some of the policies applied by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in this regard. "I do not apologize for ending programs that did not exist before Trump took office and that have an incredibly negative impact on law, international law and human dignity," he said.
The main justification given by Biden is that these kinds of policies went beyond any limit, but his position has served to increase criticism that he is favoring the illegal migration of people from Central America.
The seriousness of the situation on the southern border has put the US president in a tight spot. The increase has been very significant, as according to US Border Patrol records, more than 100,000 people were detained in February trying to cross the border illegally, the highest number since mid-2019.
The Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, confirmed that the registered levels are on the way to being the highest in the last 20 years, but from the White House they maintain that this is due to the season in which the continent is located. During the winter season, people are less likely to die from heat and therefore take more risks. For this reason, Biden affirmed that "nothing has changed" at the border compared to other years.
The biggest problem that the authorities are facing during these days is the guardianship of the almost 5,000 unaccompanied minors who have crossed illegally. This number exceeds the capacity of the reception centers available for minors, a situation that has forced some to have to live in centers for adults, which has provoked criticism.
The Republican caucus is the one that is most forceful against Biden's management. "It turns out that when politicians spend a two-year campaign announcing a porous border and amnesty, people listen," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in a tweet.
The border crisis is not just seasonal. CBP is tracking the largest surge in apprehensions in 20 years. Unaccompanied children are piling up in close quarters.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 25, 2021
It turns out when politicians spend a two-year campaign advertising a porous border and amnesty, people listen.
Biden this week appointed Vice President Kamala Harris as the person in charge of leading the mission to stop irregular migration from Central America and coordinate with El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to combat the problems of violence and corruption that cause their citizens to flee to the North.
In addition, she is trying to bring positions closer to Mexico so that families that are expelled from the United States can be accepted into Mexican territory. Unaccompanied minors would not enter this expulsion policy.
Call for "non-confrontation" with China and a warning to North Korea
Biden confirmed a much looser stance with the major Asian power on Donald Trump. The president assured that he "does not seek confrontation" with Beijing, but that he will try to make the country respect international norms and commitments.
Despite the words in order to build bridges of negotiation, Biden said that Xi Jinping, like Putin, is not made of "democratic bones." "He is one of the guys, like Putin, who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future, and that democracy cannot work in an always complex world," he added.
Biden also affirmed that he will try to fight, together with his allies in the region, so that China stops the excesses against Hong Kong, Taiwan or the Uighurs and that during his mandate "China will not surpass the United States." Currently, this country is the only one that can challenge Washington for world economic hegemony.
In addition, within the panorama of Asian politics, the warnings to Pyongyang for its escalation of military tension on the border with South Korea and the missile launches were taken up. Biden affirmed that he "was still open" to the diplomacy started by the previous Executive, but that there would be a response if the launch of ballistic missiles continues.
Biden further confirmed that North Korea was his main foreign policy problem by answering this question with a resounding "yes."
North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan on Thursday, the first tests in nearly a year. Although Donald Trump had several bilateral meetings with Kim Jong-un, these dialogues were a failure, something that could lead to a return to the less dialogical policy applied during the Obama era with this country.
This afternoon, I’m holding my first formal press conference as president. Tune in. https://t.co/dvl1RAtOjr
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 25, 2021
Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan will not occur in May
The Democratic president also addressed the situation in Afghanistan and the possible withdrawal of US troops from the area. Biden acknowledged that "it will be difficult" to withdraw all the troops deployed before the agreed day - the next May 1 - but he sees possible that they will not be there "next year."
His Administration tries to bring together positions in the peace accords between the Taliban and the Kabul Government of Ashraf Ghani, which currently remain stagnant without significant progress due to the struggle for the distribution of power between the two parties. Currently, what unites the two most is the fight against the Islamic State.
There is currently a ceasefire between foreign troops and the Taliban, but the latter have already warned that they need to withdraw if they do not want the attacks to resume. Currently there are 3,500 US soldiers left in Afghan territory and about 10,000 counting those from other NATO countries.
New challenge in vaccination goals and a reelection announcement
In domestic politics, the two main announcements have to do with vaccines against the pandemic and with the next elections in 2024. Joe Biden promised before entering the White House that they would put out 100 million doses during the first hundred days of his mandate. Currently, that number has been reached in just 42 days, a resounding success that has encouraged the president to set the goal of 200 million doses before his 100th day in power is fulfilled.
"Now, today, I am setting a second goal, and that is that we will have administered, in my first 100 days in office, 200 million doses," he stressed. This should be before the end of May. Biden assured that it is an "ambitious but feasible" goal.
Today, I’m setting a new goal: 200 million shots in arms by my 100th day in office. pic.twitter.com/1zCPzq5gG0
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 25, 2021
So far, some 85.5 million people (25.7% of the population) have received at least one dose, of which 46.4 million (14%) have already been fully inoculated, since December 14, 2020. when the first was injected. The United States is one of the countries that has advanced the most towards herd immunization and the one that has given the most doses in global numbers worldwide.
In addition, Biden affirmed that his intention is to stand for reelection again when the end of his term in 2024 arrives. Several analysts considered during the campaign that the president would only want to be there for four years due to his advanced age. . Currently, he is 78 years old and will end his term at 82, but if he runs again and is elected, he would end his presidency at 86, something that would make him, by far, the oldest president in the history of the country. .
The journalists were very insistent on the details of this hypothetical re-election and Biden answered annoyed that he is not capable of “making plans with certainty four or three and a half years in advance.” The only thing he confirmed is that he would like to have Kamala Harris as Vice President again.
Joe Biden thus faced his first press conference at the White House. A round of questions where the importance of foreign policy for his administration in the different regions of the planet and his ambitious project to immunize the country as soon as possible to end the pandemic was made clear.
