National

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill to expand a controversial state program used to relocate migrants from anywhere in the country to Democratic-led cities.

The big picture: The program, which now gains an additional $10 million in funding, faced intense backlash after Florida officials were accused of misleading migrants and promising false incentives.

DeSantis and other Republicans have argued that the program is an effective way of tackling a surge in migration to the U.S.-Mexico border that has overwhelmed southern states, but immigration advocates counter that the practice is dehumanizing and uses migrants as political pawns.

The governor faced scrutiny after he used state funding to fly migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts even though the program only set aside money to relocate migrants from within Florida.

What he's saying: "Florida is using all tools available to protect our citizens from Biden's open border policies," DeSantis tweeted after signing the bill into law. "I thank the legislature for maintaining this valuable tool."

Worth noting: The program already faces several legal challenges.

One lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the legislation, highlighting the fact that the language used in the budget for the initial program specifies that the money will help transport migrants out of Florida — not necessarily Texas.

The undocumented migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard also filed a class action lawsuit against DeSantis and other Florida officials.

A federal watchdog and the D.C. attorney general have both launched investigations into the transports.

Go deeper: What we know about Texas and Florida's transport of migrants

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DeSantis signs bill to move out-of-state migrants to blue states

Florida officials will now be able to relocate migrants from any state in the country, not just Florida.

Photo of Ron DeSantis gesturing with his hands while he speaks from a podium

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting on Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images

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Immigration

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

Reproduced from Gallup; Note: Data unavailable for 2009-2011; Chart: Axios Visuals 

The share of Americans wanting less immigration has spiked across the board since President Biden took office in 2021, according to a new Gallup survey.

Why it matters: Just 28% of Americans say they're satisfied with immigration levels in the U.S. — the lowest in a decade. Nearly 2/3 of the dissatisfied want less immigration.

The survey sheds light on why Congressional Republicans have made a point of attacking Biden's border policies, and how the focus on the border could be resonating with some voters.

Driving the news: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will make his first trip to the border as speaker on Thursday — visiting Arizona with Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oreg.), Jen Kiggans (R-Virg.) and Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisc.)

It will come one day after the 118th Congress's first field hearing at the border — held by two Energy and Commerce subcommittees in McAllen, Texas.

Top committees probing the so-called border crisis are also expected to fly members down to the border for visits and hearings in the coming weeks. 

Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) is leading what he has called a "border bootcamp" for House GOP freshmen next week in El Paso, according to a committee aide.

There has been a general push for committees to hold hearings in the field, one House GOP aide familiar with discussions on the topic told Axios.

The big picture: Satisfaction with immigration levels hit a high of 41% in 2017 and a low of 23% in 2008 over the past 23 years Gallup has been measuring.

While the share of Independents and Democrats wanting less immigration has spiked in recent years, that viewpoint among Independents and Democrats generally has trended down since the years following 9/11.

More than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration levels or want it increased.

Between the lines: The rise in Americans' concern about immigration levels is likely tied to the record numbers of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border the past two years, according to Gallup.

Since Biden came into office, he has struggled to get a handle on unprecedented levels of migration throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The administration finally has good news with illegal border crossings plummeting in January after the rollout of new carrot-and-stick border policies. 

The bottom line: The rise in fentanyl-related overdose deaths has fueled GOP interest in border security, although fentanyl smuggling overwhelmingly occurs at legal ports of entry and can involve U.S. citizens. 

Roughly 8,200 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at legal entry points along the southwest border so far this fiscal year — 17 times more than the 477 pounds seized by Border Patrol agents who focus on stopping smugglers and migrants attempting to cross the border illegally, according to U.S. data.

In contrast, 87% of encounters with migrants and asylum seekers have been by Border Patrol rather than at ports of entry.

America turns against immigration

The survey sheds light on why Republicans have attacked Biden's border policies.

Migrants and asylum seekers attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border 156,000 times in January — a 40% drop from December, which administration officials are crediting to new border policies rolled out last month.

Why it matters: It's a good sign for the Biden administration on the border. The government has struggled to get a handle on record numbers of border crossings over the past two years, which have created humanitarian, logistical and political crises for President Biden.

January had the lowest number of U.S.-Mexico border crossings since the first full month of Biden's presidency — February 2021. 

It comes after the administration rolled out new legal pathways through humanitarian parole for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians, along with an expanded use of rapid expulsions to Mexico for those nationalities.

Between the lines: News of border crossings falling comes as House Republicans make border security a target of investigations — singling out Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for potential impeachment inquiries.

Both the Judiciary and Oversight committees have already held hearings on the border, although there has been a focus on the rising amount of fentanyl being seized at the southern border.

What they're saying: The drop in border officials' encounters with Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans comes even as the numbers for other nationalities ticked up slightly as is usual for this time of year, one administration official told reporters on Friday.

"I think it points to the fact that the model we have put forward here ... can really dramatically change migratory patterns and migratory behavior," the official said.

By the numbers: The 156,274 total encounters includes both people crossing the border illegally as well as those seeking entry through legal ports of entry.  

That's down from more than 251,000 in December.

The number of times people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela attempted to cross the southwest border fell by 97% since the peak in mid-December, officials said.

The administration has also begun to roll out a new process to allow asylum seekers to schedule an appointment at a port of entry through an app. Because of this, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has processed over 17,000 people at legal entry points along the border, according to an administration official.

The big picture: New policies announced by Biden last month rely on a Trump-era policy called Title 42, which cites public health concerns about the pandemic to allow border officials to quickly return people to Mexico without the chance of seeking asylum.

The policy is expected to end in May with the public health emergency.

The administration has said they plan to continue the processes for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians even without Title 42, but have not detailed how that would work.

Border crossings drop after new Biden policies

It's finally a good sign for the Biden administration on the border.

Immigrants, most from Venezuela, are escorted by Mexican immigration agents after being expelled from the United States 

Immigrants, most from Venezuela, are escorted by Mexican immigration agents after being expelled from the United States. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

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, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

Why it matters: It's been two years since the launch of the Family Reunification Task Force, which is focused on fulfilling one of President Biden's biggest campaign promises: to reunite migrant families torn apart by Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to fulfill President Biden’s pledge to reunify all children who were separated from their families," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. 

Of the 998 kids who have been identified as still separated from their family members, 148 are in the process of being reunified, according to DHS.

The big picture: The Trump-era "zero-tolerance" policy resulted in the forced separation of thousands of migrant families who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. It was a much-criticized policy that had traumatic effects on migrant children and their parents.

Efforts to reunite families have been complicated by some agencies failing to keep organized records of who was separated and what happened afterward. 

The task force launched by Biden and led by Michelle Brané has identified more than 3,900 migrant children who were separated during Trump's tenure — more than 2,900 of whom have been reunified, many before Biden's efforts.

The total number of separated families continues to grow as new families come forward, according to DHS.

Zoom out: The reunifications under Biden are a backdrop to a heated partisan debate over border security. Caught in the middle is Mayorkas, whom newly empowered House Republicans are threatening with impeachment. 

On Thursday, Mayorkas pledged to cooperate with investigations by Republicans who want to punish him as a way to cast Biden's border policies as too lenient.

At the same time, Mayorkas defended new border policies that have drawn criticism from Democrats and immigration advocates who say that a new border plan wrongly blocks people from gaining asylum in the U.S.

Zoom in: A new policy that has drawn fire from some Democrats led to what Mayorkas called an "extraordinarily dramatic drop" in border crossings by  Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in January. He acknowledged the plan has not been "met with unanimous praise." 

He said overall encounters with migrants at the border are expected to be about 150,000 for January — down from a striking 250,000 in December.

The new policy offers legal entry into the U.S. through humanitarian "parole" for up to 30,000 people each month from the four nations, while rapidly expelling those who try to cross the border illegally instead.

Mayorkas said another new rule, coming soon, would bar people from asylum if they arrive at the border without first seeking legal pathways or protection in a country they had traveled through en route to the U.S.

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

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday defended the Biden administration's new border policy designed to curb illegal border crossings in the face of a lawsuit from Florida and 19 other states challenging the program.

Why it matters: The states argue in the suit against the Department of Homeland Security that the program allowing up to 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to live and work in the U.S is an executive power overreach and in violation of federal immigration law.

Context: President Biden announced the policy that offers legal entry into the U.S. under humanitarian parole earlier this month as part of a carrot and stick approach to border crossings, per Axios' Stef W. Kight.

What he's saying: "We believe in the lawfulness of this program," Mayorkas told reporters during a visit to Miami, per South Florida broadcaster WLRN-FM. 

"Why these states would oppose an enforcement program that is proving successful is beyond my comprehension."

Mayorkas said the new program had seen a "significant number" of applications and "admitted individuals into the United States" who were granted work authorization.

"We've also seen a significant drop in the number of Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicuaraguans and Haitians arriving irregularly in between our ports of entry at the Southern border — nearly a 90% drop in those populations," Mayorkas added. "This is the model that we have built and we will continue to build."

By the numbers: Preliminary numbers from January released last week indicate that "encounters of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans crossing unlawfully between ports of entry at the southwest border declined 97% compared to December," per a Department of Homeland Security statement issued last week.

Flashback: Illegal border crossings reach highest number since Biden took office

DHS chief: Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua border arrivals fell nearly 90%

A new program allowing up to 30,000 migrants a month from those countries saw "significant number" of applications, Alejandro Mayorkas said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas alongside Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava speak during press conference during a visit to Miami on Jan. 30, 2023.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a press conference in Miami, Florida, on Monday. Photo: Syra Ortiz-Blanes/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Migrants

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

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

The House Oversight Committee is launching its investigation into the Biden administration's handling of the southern border, with Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) inviting Border Patrol sector chiefs to testify the week of Feb. 6.

Why it matters: House Republicans are eager to highlight the record number of border crossings at the southern border and probe the Department of Homeland Security's policies and operations. 

The Oversight committee is one of three committees expected to dig into the border issue.

"Republicans will hold the Biden Administration accountable for this ongoing humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis that has turned every town into a border town," Comer said in a statement.

What to watch: Comer sent letters Thursday morning inviting chief Border Patrol agents Jason Owens, Gregory Bovino, Gloria Chavez and Patricia McGurk-Daniel to testify in a hearing the week of Feb. 6, according to a release and copies of the letters.

The agents oversee busy border sectors in Texas, Arizona and California.

Details: Comer also sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting a sweeping set of documents and internal communications "to understand DHS's policies, the costs of the emergency measures needed to respond to the worsening crisis, and the national security risks created by these policies," according to the letter.

The committee is asking for data, communications and documents related to migrant releases from DHS custody, the ending of the "Remain in Mexico" policy, the role of nongovernment organizations in releasing into the U.S. migrants who have illegally crossed the border, the impact of the border situation on Border Patrol morale, among other topics.

In the letter, Comer criticizes President Biden for waiting "until there was a Republican majority in the House" to visit the border.

He also accuses the administration of "lying to the American people" and calls a newly announced border policy for Nicaraguans, Haitians and Cubans an "unlawful abuse of the parole process."

The big picture: Record numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border have created humanitarian crises, logistical headaches and a political nightmare for Biden from nearly the start of his presidency.

There are no simple explanations for migration trends. Political unrest, natural disaster and economic instability throughout the Western Hemisphere often drive desperate people to leave their home countries to head toward the U.S. 

At the same time, the outdated and backlogged U.S. immigration system often ensures people will be able to live and work in the U.S. for years — even if they are unlikely to ultimately be granted asylum.

Republicans have focused on Biden's domestic policies and rhetoric on immigration, campaigning on "chaos at the border" and threatening an impeachment inquiry into Mayorkas.

House Oversight launches border investigation

House Republicans are eager to aggressively probe the record numbers of border crossings.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol

Rep. James Comer speaks during a news conference. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday that he would consider accepting more migrants than already announced under President Biden's plan to address a record surge in border crossings, AP reports.

The big picture: The Biden administration announced last week a policy offering legal entry for up to 30,000 migrants and asylum seekers a month from Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela.

The policy would allow officials to rapidly expel to Mexico up to 30,000 migrants from those nations each month if they attempt to cross the U.S. border illegally.

What he's saying: López Obrador's comments come as he, Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convene in Mexico City for a two-day summit that is expected to largely focus on immigration.

"We don’t want to anticipate things, but this is part of what we are going to talk about at the summit," López Obrador said, per AP.

"We support this type of measures, to give people options, alternatives," he added. "The numbers may be increased."

López Obrador noted that he and Biden already touched on immigration during the Sunday evening drive into the city center in Biden's limousine.

"We agreed on addressing the causes of migration" so that people aren't forced to leave their homes, he said.

Worth noting: Biden's new policy has already drawn criticism from immigration rights advocates and some Democratic lawmakers who accuse him of expanding the controversial Trump-era Title 42 in his bid to crack down on unauthorized immigration.

Go deeper: Biden targeting illegal border crossings

Mexico may accept more migrants expelled by U.S. under new Biden policy

"We support this type of measures to give people options, alternatives," said AMLO.

Photo of Joe Biden and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador standing shoulder to shoulder next to a row of soldiers

President Biden (left) is welcomed by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador after landing in Zumpango de Ocampo, north of Mexico City, on Jan. 8. Photo: Claudio Cruz/AFP via Getty Images

Mexico

Joe Biden

Latin America and Latinos

President Joe Biden arrived in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday as part of his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as president amid a major influx of migrants and asylum seekers arriving at the border.

Why it matters: Republicans, who made border security one of their top campaign issues in the 2022 midterms, have argued that Biden's lack of a visit is evidence the president is unserious about addressing illegal immigration across the southern border. 

Biden, after announcing the El Paso visit, unveiled a new policy last week to curb illegal border crossings, telling migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti in a rare public address dedicated to the border issue to "not just show up at the border," Axios' Stef Kight reports.

The big picture: During his visit, Biden met with local officials, faith leaders and non-governmental groups who've supported migrants fleeing political oppression and economic collapse in their home countries at the El Paso County Migrant Services Support Center.

"If I could wave the wand, what should I do?" Biden asked aid workers there, per a pool report.

Biden also inspected the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, the busiest port in El Paso, with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, members of Congress, and local officials and law enforcement.

He was joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, several Democratic members of Congress, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego.

The other side: After the president departed Air Force One at El Paso International Airport, Biden briefly spoke to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), whose office said Abbott gave Biden a letter containing five actions the governor would like the president to carry out to secure the border. 

Among the steps mentioned in the letter was to continue enforcing the pandemic-era border policy called Title 42, which the Supreme Court last month allowed to remain in force as legal challenges against it unfold.

Abbott also demanded that Biden resume construction of a border wall along Texas' portion of the border.

What he's saying: Asked about the letter, Biden told reporters that he hadn't read it yet, according to a pool report. 

Asked what he's learned from his border visit, he replied: "They need a lot of resources. We're going to get it for them."

Details: El Paso has been seeing a soaring number of migrants come through the border for several months, but the situation escalated last month when thousands of migrants and asylum seekers arrived, leaving shelters and city resources strapped.

Many migrants slept on the streets even as temperatures dipped below freezing.

Agents began detaining dozens of migrants sleeping downtown last week, according to a report by El Paso Matters.

Yes, but: Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it has increased the number of agents patrolling in El Paso in response to “migrants evading apprehension” and that it was conducting increased patrols before the president announced his visit.

A report by NBC News captured agents detaining migrants in other areas of El Paso last week.

The El Paso Times reported dozens of migrants who had not yet been processed by the Border Patrol were detained this week.

What's next: After the El Paso visit, Biden headed to Mexico for the North American Leaders' Summit with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday and Tuesday. 

Go deeper ... Scoop: Biden's inflation-immigration pitch

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect Biden's departure for Mexico. 

Biden visits El Paso in first trip to southern border as president

"They need a lot of resources. We're going to get it for them," Biden said when asked what he's learned from his border visit.

President Biden shaking hands with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after departing an airplane in El Paso on Jan. 8.

President Biden shakes hands with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) after departing an airplane in El Paso on Jan. 8. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Sneak Peek

Axios Sneak Peek

In an heated closed-door virtual meeting, leading Hispanic lawmakers pressed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to explain Biden’s new immigration policies, with some angry lawmakers making comparisons to policies promulgated by Stephen Miller.

Why it matters: Republicans already plan to make immigration a focus and have threatened an impeachment inquiry into Mayorkas— if the House can move past the Speaker stalemate. Now, Mayorkas is once again facing heat from the left.

What we're hearing: Some members on the call felt blindsided by the policies announced by the president and the secretary on Thursday, two Congressional Hispanic Caucus members told Axios.

There was particular concern about the proposed rule, which would potentially bar from asylum migrants who do not first seek legal pathways to the U.S. or apply for protection in a country they transited through to get to the U.S. 

Comparisons to the Trump administration — and specifically Stephen Miller policies— were raised, the sources said.

Still, some border legislators were more supportive of the administration.

Stephen Miller took to Twitter on Thursday to criticize the administration over the new policies, drawing attention to the 30,000 a month who could be granted entry to the U.S. using parole.

What they're saying: Several Democrats have already been outspoken about their disappointment in the policy announcements. 

In the meeting, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the powerful chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was particularly critical of the administration's approach and indicated that he would continue to demand changes.

Menendez in a statement called the expanded use of Title 42 a "disastrous and inhumane relic of the Trump Administration’s racist immigration agenda" — an "affront" to solving the border crisis.

He joined Democratic Sens. Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) in a separate statement: "we are deeply disappointed by the Biden Administration’s decision to expand the use of Title 42."

The senators added their concern that the so-called transit ban regulation would "disregard our obligations under international law by banning families from seeking asylum at the border," likely "stranding migrants fleeing persecution and torture in countries unable to protect them." 

The bottom line: Border policy continues to be a near-impossible political needle to thread.

Hispanic lawmakers grill Mayorkas over new border policies

Mayorkas is once again facing heat from both sides of the aisle.

 U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (R) arrives for an address during a joint meeting of Congress 

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Biden's first trip to the border marks a public — and perilous — step toward addressing an immediate humanitarian emergency and long-term political dilemma ahead of his likely re-election campaign. 

Why it matters: Republicans have relentlessly hammered Biden over the border crisis, citing a lack of a visit as evidence he's unserious about the issue. Moderate and border-district Democrats have been clamoring for Biden to find a better policy response to the untenable situation.

What we're watching: The visit to the El Paso area, tacked on before Biden heads to Mexico for the North American Leaders' Summit, presents both optical risk and political opportunity.

“I’m glad that he’s finally visiting the border,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose district abuts Mexico, told Axios. “I hope he talks to some of the border community leaders and our CBP [Custom and Border Protection] officers so he can get an understanding of what’s happening at the border.”

Biden's run to the border

It's a public — and perilous — step toward addressing an immediate humanitarian emergency.

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