Well, good evening and welcome to FOX 26 News at
Five.
We begin with our top story tonight.
President Joe Biden today announcing strict new immigration measures, saying
that doing nothing is not an option.
The executive order calls for turning away nearly all immigrants
who cross the border illegally and denying asylum to those
who enter the country without authorization.
That's right.
Fox 26 political reporter Greg Rugen is here with what
the president has to say and plenty of reaction.
Yeah, Ross and Caroline, this action by the president comes
154 days before the November election, a fact which underscores
just how important this issue is to millions of American
voters.
Today, I'm announcing actions to bar migrants who cross our
southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum.
3 1/2 years deep into his presidency and Joe Biden
is issuing get tough executive orders aimed at better securing
the southern border.
With as many as 10 million migrants having already crossed
during his term, The president says he's choosing to act
now because Congress, and specifically Republicans, will not.
We must face the simple truth to protect America as
a land that welcomes immigrants.
We must first secure the border and secure it now.
Too little and far too late, say Texas Republicans led
by Senator Ted Cruz, who believes Biden's measures are a
political reflex to polling, which indicates widespread anger among many
voters over the president's consistent refusal to secure the border.
It's a full on invasion and and the order of
magnitude.
We've never had anything close.
And so look, between now and Election Day, do I
think the Biden administration is going to play some politics?
Do I think they're going to try to try to
decrease the numbers at the border a little bit so
they can say, Nah, the problem solved?
Probably, but, but I think their view is that the
American voters are are gullible.
I don't think that's right.
I don't think people are stupid.
Democratic Congressman Colin Allred, who is seeking to unseat the
senator, says the refusal by Cruz and other Republicans to
support bipartisan compromise amounts to perpetuating the crisis for political
gain.
The specific issue we have at the border, which is
basically an asylum crisis with billions of dollars of resources
for Texas, for more CPP personnel, for more immigration judges,
that Ted Cruz said no.
And I think he said no, not because he disagreed
with the policy, but because he wouldn't have the issue
to run on in November.
Immigrant right advocates are labeling the president's election year border
crackdown as a betrayal.
Now, as you would expect, the Biden border plan is
creating buzz in US border towns.
Fox's Kennedy Hayes is live near the southern border in
El Paso.