US President Joe Biden has vowed not to “play politics” with the southern border and immigration – a potentially tall order as the US hurtles toward the November presidential election.
Mr Biden’s comments came on what he called a “good day” in which he announced an executive order aimed at protecting hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation and allowing them to work in the US.
His actions, however, have drawn criticism from Republicans and some fellow Democrats alike, forcing the president into a complex juggling act.
Polls show that a majority of voters see immigration as one of the most important problems facing the country – a fact which makes Mr Biden’s stated desire to be apolitical on the issue difficult.
The new executive action announced by the administration on Tuesday has been widely praised by immigration activists and Democrats alike, many of whom have lauded it as the most significant relief programme for undocumented migrants already in the US since the Obama administration announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca, in 2012.
The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), California Democrat Nanette Barragán, praised the move as a “happy day” for immigrant families, who “can go to sleep tonight knowing their loved ones will not be going anywhere”.
But the latest move stands in stark contrast to his sweeping immigration order issued in early June, which allows officials to quickly remove migrants entering the US illegally without processing their asylum requests.
The executive actions – spaced out over the span of just two weeks – have highlighted the complex tightrope that Mr Biden finds himself in with regards to the issue.
“Biden always finds himself in a hard place,” Republican strategist Doug Heye told the BBC. “Whatever he does is going to get criticism. This is a perfect example.”
“He’s underperforming with Hispanic voters, so he’s trying to make a move to bring in a lot of votes. But it can cost him votes as well,” he added. “That is, by definition, mixed messaging.”
The asylum restrictions announced on 5 June, now the focus of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, were widely criticised by immigration advocates and even some of Mr Biden’s Democratic allies.
In a statement, the CHC called the order “deeply concerning” and symptomatic of enforcement strategies that have “repeatedly proven ineffective” and created “chaos” at the border.
Spokespeople for Donald Trump, Mr Biden’s Republican challenger, condemned both actions as a move towards “amnesty” for undocumented workers.
