National

Credit Data: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Chart: Axios Visuals

The Biden administration is crediting its new border policy for a significant drop in the number of Cubans and other migrants who have tried to unlawfully cross the southern border. 

But immigration experts say the new measures may not be an effective long-term strategy to stem the flow of Cubans attempting to come to the U.S.

State of play: Driven by a worsening economic crisis, food and medicine shortages, and political upheaval, more Cubans tried migrating to the U.S. last year than ever before. 

The Biden administration responded to the growing exodus by resuming visa services at the U.S. embassy in Havana and offering Cubans a chance at humanitarian parole. 

Under the program, which was expanded in early January, up to 30,000 people from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti can come to the U.S. each month if they have a sponsor, pay fees, are vetted before arriving and meet other criteria.

Immigrants rights activists say the number is not nearly enough, and have opposed the program’s restrictions on asylum access. Meanwhile, on the right, some see allowing 30,000 in each month as an overreach of the use of parole.

The big picture: The most recent exodus from Cuba has been at least partly driven by the worsening of the decades-long economic crisis on the island over the last three years, with more acute shortages and repeated blackouts.

The drop in tourism during the pandemic, sanctions from the embargo and complicated attempts to reform the economy have left empty coffers and wallets.

The government has less funds to import staples —  around 70% of food is imported — and Cubans have little access to nutrition and medicines.

Activists also say the government has cracked down more heavily on dissent since mass protests in 2021.

Where it stands: Border authorities encountered more than 91,000 people from those countries at the Southwest border in December, according to Department of Homeland Security data. 

But in January — when the new policy went into effect —  there was a 97% decline in the number of encounters compared to last month, DHS announced last week, citing preliminary data.

In the first 20 days of the policy, more than 1,700 people from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti arrived in the U.S. through the new parole process, according to a DHS official.

That shows, the Biden administration says, the new policy is already working.

Yes, but: Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, says the new policy alone won’t be enough “to deter irregular migrant arrivals over the long term.” 

That’s partly because the perception that the program may be blocked by the courts "could trigger Cuban migrants’ decision to resort again to irregular migration channels, especially because economic instability and episodes of political repression in Cuba are unabating," Ruiz Soto says.  

The policy is being challenged in federal court by 20 Republican-led states that argue it creates a visa program without congressional approval.

Plus, the program could have the unintended consequence of leaving Cubans who have already made their way to Mexico, with plans to travel to the U.S., trapped south of the border if it ends or can't keep up with demand, Ruiz Soto adds.

Even if the policy is allowed to stay in place, years of U.S. warnings to Cuban migrants have done little to stem the movement before, says Jorge Duany, the director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.

"I don't believe much more can be done for the moment to slow down the flow of undocumented Cubans to the U.S. The hope is that the parole mechanism will in time at least reduce it by channeling it to legal means, but remains to be seen."

What we're watching: The policy does not automatically disqualify those who attempt to come to the U.S. irregularly by sea — a loophole that has raised concern among immigration-focused administration officials, according to one source familiar with internal government discussions.

The Coast Guard has intercepted over 5,300 Cubans at sea since October. Dozens have died attempting to migrate, including six people last week when a boat capsized.

Biden's Cuban migrant policy may not be effective in long-term, experts say

The Biden administration is crediting its new border policy for a significant drop in unlawful border crossings.

Cuba

Latin America and Latinos

The Biden administration is crediting its new border policy for a significant drop in the number of Cubans and other migrants who have tried to unlawfully cross the southern border. <ul><li>But immigration experts say the new measures may not be an effective long-term strategy to stem the flow of Cubans attempting to come to the U.S.</li></ul>

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

House Republicans sent subpoenas to three top Biden administration officials on Friday, escalating a probe into what GOP lawmakers see as bias in the government's investigations of school board protesters.    

Why it matters: The subpoenas, reviewed by Axios, were sent by the House Judiciary Committee to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Chris Wray and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. It was the most aggressive move yet by Republicans who plan to investigate a range of actions by Biden's administration.

The subpoenas seek documents and communications regarding U.S. officials' actions at a time when protesters and parents, many organized by conservative groups, were disrupting school board meetings across the country in 2021. 

The protests targeted a range of issues and school policies, including mask and vaccine mandates, sex education, LGBTQ issues and teaching about racism.

In some cases, school officials were threatened with violence, which led school board associations to ask federal and state officials for help and protection. 

Zoom in: The subpoenas ask for documents that detail the Justice Department's response to an Oct. 4, 2021, memo from Garland that cited "a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and (school) staff" across the nation.

That day, the Justice Department also announced a new task force that brought together federal, state and local agencies to investigate the threats. 

Republicans have cast the protests as a free-speech issue and argued that law enforcement went too far in investigating — and sometimes charging — protesters.

The Judiciary panel, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), subpoenaed Wray for "all documents and communications referring or relating to the EDUOFFICIALS threat tag," which reportedly was used to keep track of threats against teachers and school board members.

The committee also wants documents showing communications between DOJ and intelligence agencies about "alleged threats posed by concerned parents at local school board meetings."

Zoom out: The subpoenas were sent less than three weeks after Jordan sent letters to Garland, Wray and Cardona asking about investigations of parents who allegedly made threats against school board members. 

He sent similar requests to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and outgoing White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. 

Before Friday's subpoenas, the Justice and Education departments had told Jordan's committee they were open to negotiating which oversight requests to accommodate. 

What they're saying: "These subpoenas make crystal clear that extreme House Republicans have no interest in working together with the Biden administration on behalf of the American people — and every interest in staging political stunts," said Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight.

GOP panel subpoenas Biden officials over protests

The move escalates the GOP probe into the government's investigations of school board protesters.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, strikes the gavel to start a hearing on U.S. southern border security on Capitol Hill. 

Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

House GOP investigations

Joe Biden

House Republicans sent subpoenas to three top Biden administration officials on Friday, escalating a probe into what GOP lawmakers see as bias in the government&#x27;s investigations of school board protesters. Why it matters: The subpoenas, reviewed by Axios, were sent by the House Judiciary Committee to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Chris Wray and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. It was the most aggressive move yet by Republicans who plan to investigate a range of actions by Biden&#x27;s administration.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) told colleagues on Tuesday he is stepping down from his assignments on the Small Business and Science Committees, according to five sources — including two House GOP members.

Why it matters: The announcement comes as the first-term House member from Long Island faces a multitude of investigations into sweeping fabrications he made on the campaign trail, along with considerable blowback from the public and within Congress.

Driving the news: Santos issued a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming that he is recusing himself from the committees.

"With the ongoing attention surrounding both my personal and campaign financial investigations, I have submitted a request to Speaker McCarthy that I be temporarily recused from my committee assignments until I am cleared," Santos said.

"The business of the 118th Congress must continue without media fanfare," he added.

Santos also thanked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for meeting with him "to discuss the matter and allowing me to take time to properly clear my name before returning to my committees." Santos also said he remains committed to serving his district. 

What we’re hearing: Santos made the announcement at a closed-door GOP conference meeting on Tuesday morning and indicated the recusal is not permanent, Axios is told.

"It sounds to me like it’s temporary. … I think until there’s a level of what he thinks the issues he’s a distraction from are over with," Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), the chair of the Small Business Committee, told Axios.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who has called on Santos to resign, said, "[Until] this situation is sorted out and the ethics investigations are complete, I think it’s the right decision."

What they're saying: McCarthy told reporters he and Santos talked about the move on Monday: "I met with George Santos yesterday. ... We had a discussion and he asked me if he could do that."

"I think it was an appropriate decision that, until he can clear everything up, he's off of committees right now," McCarthy added.

The other side: Democrats are keeping the heat on Santos — Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), a leading Santos critic, said in a statement: "Why is he stopping there?"

"Half-measures like voluntarily taking himself off his committee assignments are not good enough. ... He’s a disgrace today. And he’ll be a disgrace tomorrow. He should resign from office immediately," Torres said.

The intrigue: Santos’ announcement comes ahead of an expected House vote to strip Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) of her assignment on the Foreign Affairs Committee over past statements she made that colleagues in both parties labeled antisemitic.

That vote is in limbo as some Republicans argue against removing Democrats from their committees, a matter typically handled internally by the party caucuses.

Santos, for his part, said he’s voting to remove her. "I’ve never been undecided," he said. "She doesn’t deserve a seat in the committee."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Rep. Ritchie Torres and Rep. George Santos. 

George Santos tells colleagues he’s stepping down from House committees

Santos indicated that his recusal is only temporary.

 Rep. George Santos (R-NY) leaves a GOP caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on January 25, 2023

Rep. George Santos leaves a GOP caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on Jan. 25. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

House Republicans

U.S. still trying to reunite 1,000 kids separated at border

Biden vowed to reunite families torn apart by Trump policy.

US President Joe Biden listens to a question during an event with a bipartisan group of mayors 

US President Joe Biden. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Immigration

The Biden administration has reunited more than 600 migrant children separated from their families during the Trump presidency — but nearly 1,000 still need to be reunited, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday." data-vars-click-url="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/02/02/fact-sheet-review-family-reunification-task-force-second-anniversary-its" data-vars-content-id="61b659ce-7a64-4afa-9090-67114b9bda8e" data-vars-headline="U.S. still trying to reunite 1,000 kids separated at border" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/02/02/fact-sheet-review-family-reunification-task-force-second-anniversary-its" target="_blank">the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.</a>Why it matters: It&#x27;s been two years since the launch of the Family Reunification Task Force, which is focused on fulfilling one of President Biden&#x27;s biggest campaign promises: to reunite migrant families torn apart by Trump&#x27;s &quot;zero-tolerance&quot; policy.

The first wave of House Republicans' politically hot investigations of the Biden administration starts today. 

Driving the news: The Oversight Committee will question officials on alleged fraud and abuse in pandemic assistance, while the Judiciary Committee will hear from local officials about Biden's handling of issues on the Southwest border. 

Why it matters: The hearings launch what's likely to be months of investigating issues ranging from COVID's origins to Hunter Biden's business dealings to GOP claims that the FBI has been biased against conservatives.

The investigations come after years of Democrats' use of oversight and subpoena power to investigate former President Trump on a range of subjects, including his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The Jan. 6 panel's hearings were notable in part for their slick production, aimed at viewers across the nation. It's unclear whether Republicans will use similar tactics, but the hearings will give the GOP opportunities to score political points—and Democrats a chance to counter them.

The hearings are likely to be contentious because they will involve some of biggest personalities and aggressive debaters in Congress: Reps. Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene for the Republicans, and Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the Democrats.

Between the lines: The Oversight Committee first will look into waste, fraud, and abuse in COVID pandemic spending — a rare issue with potential bipartisan interest.

A December report by the GAO estimated that more than $60 billion might have been lost to fraud in COVID unemployment programs.

On Wednesday the panel will question the Justice Department inspector general, a Secret Service investigations expert and the U.S. comptroller general about problems they've identified. 

Wednesday's hearing is expected to propel future hearings into specific pandemic programs that involve education funds, state and local funds, and PPP loans. 

What they're saying: “I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt. This is their first hearing," Rep Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who helped direct Florida's COVID response, told Axios after casting doubt on Comer's ability to keep the committee "to its true purpose." 

"I have meaningful questions on waste, fraud and abuse that I believe occurred over the totality of the three years," he added, including periods during the Trump presidency.

Meanwhile, Judiciary Republicans plan to hammer Biden over border problems — a favored GOP talking point and a political headache for an administration dealing with record border crossings.

“Our first hearing will examine the disastrous impact that the 'Biden Border Crisis' has on local communities,” Judiciary Chairman Jordan (R-Ohio) told Axios in a statement, calling the hearing “just the beginning of our work.”

Witnesses planned for the panel include a man whose stepson died of a fentanyl overdose, a judge who switched to the Republican Party over concern about the border, and a sheriff from a border county in Arizona.  

Members hope to show how border problems are affecting communities across the U.S., a GOP aide told Axios.

The House Oversight and Homeland Security committees also will examine Biden's border policy, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) plans to hold hearings at the border. 

House Republicans launch investigations of Biden and COVID relief

House Republicans begin to investigate Biden, and more.

Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, speaks with ranking member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., before the start of the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing 

Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, speaks with ranking member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Congress

The first wave of House Republicans&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="politically hot investigations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/15/house-republicans-biden-investigation-documents" data-vars-content-id="be30251e-ba7a-4bcb-9871-9ac66b933ff6" data-vars-headline="House Republicans launch investigations of Biden and COVID relief" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/15/house-republicans-biden-investigation-documents" target="_self">politically hot investigations</a> of the Biden administration starts today. Driving the news: The Oversight Committee will question officials on alleged fraud and abuse in pandemic assistance, while the Judiciary Committee will hear from local officials about Biden&#x27;s handling of issues on the Southwest border.

Stef W. Kight

Stories

GOP panel subpoenas Biden officials over protests

U.S. still trying to reunite 1,000 kids separated at border

Biden's Cuban migrant policy may not be effective in long-term, experts say

House Republicans launch investigations of Biden and COVID relief

George Santos tells colleagues he’s stepping down from House committees