Could a war be brewing in the Democratic Party? There are indications of fresh infighting following the recent plan by the Biden administration to tighten its border policy. While many Democrats support the plan, others have been furious about the decision.

They believe it could hurt Biden’s and Democrats’ chances in the forthcoming elections. Let’s see how.

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, President Joe Biden signed an executive action that will deny asylum requests at the border. Although this directive will take effect only when border systems are overwhelmed, it is a move that is highly uncharacteristic of Democrats’ soft border behaviors.

With this order, Biden has stepped on powerful toes within his party, which wants the lenient border traditions to continue.

As expected, The White House’s website was full of praises for the move. According to its statement, the order showed that the president was “taking action” and, unlike the Republicans, was placing national security above partisan politics.

“Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border,” the statement read. It further described the President’s action as a response to Congress’s failure.

Months before, President Biden supported a border-strengthening bill that Democrats and Republicans had championed. Unfortunately, the bill failed to win the support of enough Republican lawmakers who shared Donald Trump’s objections to it.

Republicans said the bill wasn’t tough enough on the border and was a pretentious move by Democrats to sway votes in a soon-coming election. According to Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, the bill was a Democrat “Hail Mary” designed to cover for their years of failure at the border.

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The White House statement explained the components of the executive order. It announced that the President is “suspending entry of noncitizens who cross the Southern border into the United States unlawfully.”

The statement also clarified that the action is a temporary one that will only take effect “when the Southern border is overwhelmed.” Things will return to normal once the number of immigrants crossing the border is low enough for border personnel to handle.

Biden’s executive action has, on humanitarian grounds, singled out some asylum seekers for exemption from the deportation order. These categories of persons include victims of human trafficking, minors who arrive at the border unaccompanied, and migrants with severe health emergencies.

Republicans have also fiercely criticized this provision. They believe that human trafficking rings could exploit it to enhance their operations.

Unsurprisingly, many Democrats have criticized the executive order. They see the lax border policy of the Biden administration as a strong point rather than an election weakness.

By their reasoning, a break from its long-held immigration policies could anger many core Democratic supporters and cause the party to lose their votes. Interestingly, Rep. Delia C. Ramirez from Illinois, the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant, is one of the progressive lawmakers who hold this opinion.

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Rep. Ramirez believes that the executive order is an act of betrayal against loyal Democrats who have backed the President’s support for asylum seekers. She also doesn’t believe that the move will win significant support for the President in the face of declining poll numbers.

“I am concerned that it doesn’t matter what he ends up doing; Republicans will negate it and say that it is not enough,” she said.

Similarly, another Democrat lawmaker, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, doesn’t support the order. Thompson, one of the scores of democrat opposing voices to the executive order, has explained his opposition to the action.

In a statement, the member of the House Homeland Security Committee drew attention to the damage that the bill will do to the plight of vulnerable asylum-seekers who are only seeking a better and safer life.

Not long after the President signed the executive order, some Democrat lawmakers spoke against it outside the Capitol. The legislators who are notable immigrant rights activists include Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Greg Cesar (Texas), and Ramirez.

Omar, who entered the United States as an immigrant, lamented the policy shift. She believes it is detrimental and insensitive to the plight of asylum-seekers. “This is not the America I know, the America I love,” she declared.

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Opposition also sprang from the Congressional Progressive Caucus led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash). Jayapal revealed that she has voiced her group’s displeasure with the executive order to the White House.

She told White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients that she was disappointed by the President’s action. According to her, the order is similar to former President Donald Trump’s executive order. “We should be distinguishing ourselves from Donald Trump on immigration,” she stated.

To the President’s relief, the plan has received commendation from many top Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is one of the parliament leaders who have backed the order.

In as much as he believed a more conclusive solution would have been better, he remarked that the order is a welcome step toward a solution and is better than nothing.

Many political analysts believe that the executive order is aimed at reviving the president’s re-election fortunes, which a number of polls have shown are falling behind.

Also, the polls suggest that about 16% of voters see immigration as their top election issue. Biden might be looking to pacify this group and millions of independents whose votes are up for grabs. However, only time will tell if he made the right call.

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