This week, the Biden administration proposed new immigration rules to reimplement asylum application measures from the Trump administration that one could even argue was a return to the “Remain in Mexico” policy. But after a news brief Tuesday night, ABC came off rather disappointed on Wednesday’s Good Morning America with President Biden incurring “fierce criticism from his own party” and lawsuits on the horizon.
Given the administration’s refusal to address the explosion in gotaways, expand and fortify physical border walls, and penchant for allowing illegal immigrants to escape into the U.S. with vague notices to appear and notices to report, it’s safe to be incredibly skeptical.
Tuesday’s World News Tonight didn’t foreshadow any discontent as ABC anchor David Muir explained “the Biden administration is proposing stricter new rules for migrants applying for asylum with the pandemic limits now set to expire.”
Muir continued:
Migrants would now be required to apply for asylum in countries they travel through on their way to the U.S. If they come to the U.S. anyway, they could apply at entry points but most of those who cross illegally, authorities say, will be sent back. Those pandemic-era rules known as Title 42 that allowed migrants to be sent back without a hearing, are expected to end in May.
But the next day, ABC must have received talking points. Co-host Robin Roberts lamented in a tease of “new border rules” that are the Biden administration’s “toughest immigration policy yet” that have resulted in “fierce criticism from his own party.”
Senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott reiterated the “the toughest immigration policy yet” line and said, “it comes as we have seen a record number of migrants cross our southern border.”
Explaining the new policy, she said it would become “mandatory for migrants to apply for asylum in the countries that they are traveling through on the way to the United States.”
And, because “this plan does mirror the policies proposed under the Trump administration” except for the exemption of minors, this represented the crossing of a red line:
Still, the President facing major pushback from members of his own party. Democrats are urging the Biden administration to reconsider, insisting that they need to be focused on expanding pathways, not restricting them and immigrations advocates are planning to sue the administration to keep it from going into effect as soon as next month.
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To see the relevant transcripts from February 21 and 22, click “expand.”
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
February 21, 2023
6:45 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Now, to the southern border, and tonight, the Biden administration is proposing stricter new rules for migrants applying for asylum with the pandemic limits now set to expire. Migrants would now be required to apply for asylum in countries they travel through on their way to the U.S. If they come to the U.S. anyway, they could apply at entry points but most of those who cross illegally, authorities say, will be sent back. Those pandemic-era rules known as Title 42 that allowed migrants to be sent back without a hearing, are expected to end in May.
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ABC’s Good Morning America
February 23, 2023
7:01 a.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New Border Rules; Immigration Battle]
ROBIN ROBERTS: New border rules. The Biden administration proposing its toughest immigration policy yet. Why the President's facing fierce criticism from his own party.
(....)
7:11 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; New Border Rules Spark Backlash; Biden Administration Unveils New Proposal to Limit Asylum Claims]
ROBERTS: Back here at home to immigration, the Biden administration unveiling a new proposal to limit asylum claims at the southern border. Our senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott is at the White House with those details for us. Good morning, Rachel.
RACHEL SCOTT: Good morning, Robin, and this is the toughest immigration policy yet from the Biden administration and it comes as we have seen a record number of migrants cross our southern border. So, as it stands now, migrants are able to apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the United States, but under this new proposed rule that would change, making it mandatory for migrants to apply for asylum in the countries that they are traveling through on the way to the United States. Now, this plan does mirror the policies proposed under the Trump administration, but does make one clear difference and that it does not apply to children. Still, the President facing major pushback from members of his own party. Democrats are urging the Biden administration to reconsider, insisting that they need to be focused on expanding pathways, not restricting them and immigrations advocates are planning to sue the administration to keep it from going into effect as soon as next month, Michael.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: Alright, thank you so much for that, Rachel.
