They don’t want Biden’s stench on them.
As the midterms approach, Democrats are bracing for headwinds expected to emerge from a surge of migrants at the Southern border in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to rescind a restriction that limited migrants.
Incumbent Democrats, who could lose re-election bids, are scrambling to distance themselves from Biden’s decision to reverse Title 42, a rule that was implemented by the Trump administration in 2020 and carried out 1.7 million deportations.
Biden’s decision to rescind the law that emerged because of the pandemic came as the President faced pressure from progressives and immigration advocates who were also attempting to limit their political liability.
On Monday (April 4), Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia was the latest in a string of vulnerable Democrats to criticize Biden’s immigration decision.
Warnock said that he believed it “is not the right time,” adding that “we have not seen a detailed plan from the administration.”
The Georgia Democrat also mentioned the need for security assurances and a need to “protect communities on this side of the border.” He then reiterated his belief that Biden’s decision came at the wrong time, stating, “I think this is the wrong time, and I haven’t seen a plan that gives me comfort.”
Warnock faces a challenging race in Georgia, where Biden only won by 12,000 votes.
But his misgivings about Biden’s border decision have been echoed by Democratic strategists who believe the Biden administration needs to send federal resources to Arizona and other border areas to avoid local communities being overwhelmed by the influx.
John LaBombard, a former aide to Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, noted that “When voters think that our party cares more about something else, other than we care about the issues that matter in their everyday lives, we lose. And management of the border provides a really good example of that fact.”
LaBombard, who last week criticized Biden for the decision, added, “It would be a mistake to underestimate the impact on these communities, these small towns.”
