Biden news: President makes first response to classified papers trove as GOP accused Dems of hypocrisy
Discovery of documents cast a shadow over Biden’s visit to Mexico City for three-day summit with counterparts Trudeau and López Obrador
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Your support makes all the difference.President Joe Biden’s visit to Mexico was shrouded by news that classified documents from his time as vice president were discovered at a think tank in Washington DC.
After initially dodging questions on the classified papers, the president addressed the issue on Tuesday, saying that he was “surprised” by the find.
“I was surprised to learn there were any government records that were taken there to that office,” he said, adding that he doesn’t know what the documents contain.
Mr Biden’s attorneys confirmed on Monday that they had found the government materials in a private office at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in November.
The documents were immediately handed over to the National Archives and the Justice Department launched an investigation.
At least some of the materials are said to include intelligence memos regarding Iran, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and other topics, reported CNN.
The revelation about the documents comes amid a a three-day trip to Mexico where Mr Biden has held meetings with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Biden praised Mr Trudeau for his support and cooperation with the US on international affairs.
“I want to thank you again. You’ve always been there whenever I call, you pick up the phone,” he said.
Biden takes first presidential trip to US-Mexico border as officials report surge of migrants
Texas governor confronts Biden at airport after complaining he wasn’t invited to border visit
Biden urged to extradite Bolsonaro from Florida bolt-hole as rioters storm Brazil presidential palace
Everything we know so far about classified Biden documents found at think tank
‘When is the FBI going to raid Joe Biden?’ Trump rages after classified Obama-Biden docs found at think tank
Classified Obama-Biden papers found at think tank, prompting DOJ review
Republicans push Biden to maintain Trump’s zero-tolerance policies
Republican US representative Jim Jordan told Fox News that Joe Biden should adopt the zero-tolerance policies pursued by former president Donald Trump.
Mr Trump’s hardline policies on immigrants included separating children from their migrant parents.
“They’ve allowed now a situation where frankly, we no longer have a border,” Mr Jordan said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said international crises and legislative gridlock limited Mr Biden‘s ability to reduce the number of migrants making their way to the United States.
“We’re just dealing with a broken system,” Mr Mayorkas told reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Texas.
El Paso’s Democratic mayor declared a state of emergency last month, citing hundreds of migrants’ sleeping on the streets in cold temperatures and thousands being apprehended every day.
US border officials apprehended a record 2.2 million migrants at the border with Mexico in the 2022 fiscal year that ended in September, though that number includes individuals who tried to cross multiple times.
Biden’s schedule for Monday:
3.55pm CST – President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden depart to head to the National Palace of Mexico City, Mexico
4.15pm – Mr Biden and Dr Biden attend an official welcome ceremony hosted by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Dr. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller of Mexico at The National Palace
5pm – Mr Biden participates in a bilateral meeting with Mr Lopez Obrador
6.45pm – Mr Biden and the first lady take part in a trilateral dinner with Mr Lopez Obrador, Dr Müller, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Migrant crossings soared in last year
The number of migrants illegally crossing the US’s border with Mexico has soared to record highs in the last year.
In total, 1.7 million migrants were arrested at the border in the year ending October 2022 – the highest number since 1960, according to US Customs and Border Protection data.
Among them was 147,000 children who had crossed the border without a parent of guardian. The remaining included 1.1 million single adults and 479,000 people in families.
Texas governor confronts Biden at airport after complaining he wasn’t invited to border visit
Joe Biden was confronted by the governor of Texas on the tarmac on Sunday after the latter complained hours earlier that he had only been extended an invitation to meet him as an afterthought.
The moment occurred as Mr Biden touched down in the Lone Star State for a trip to the US-Mexico border, where he met with agents from US Customs and Border Protection as well as local elected leaders.
Read the full story here:
Governor confronts Biden at airport after complaining he wasn’t invited to border
President was handed letter outlining Greg Abbott’s complaints and demands for far-right policies
Biden’s migration policy shift
President Joe Biden’s visit to the US’s southern border with Mexico comes after he announced a major shift in immigration policy.
Under the new policy, the US will accept 30,000 people per month from the four nations of Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela. The policy will be in effect for two years and migrants will be offered the ability to work legally in the US.
However, the new plan also includes sending around 30,000 migrants per month from those four countries back across the border to Mexico.
What’s on the agenda of Biden’s talks with Mexican and Canadian leaders?
During President Joe Biden’s three-day summit, he will be holding talks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
But the three nations all have different priorities from the meeting.
For the US, the major talking points are migration, drug trafficking and building on Mr Biden’s push on electric vehicles and manufacturing.
Mexico is focused on economic integration for North America, supporting the poor in the Americas and regional relationships that put all governments on equal footing.
Meanwhile, Canada is looking to expand on green initiatives.
ICYMI: Biden’s new immigration policy
The Biden administration will begin expelling migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who cross into the US illegally between ports of entry as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration while opening a number of legal pathways for people to legally claim asylum, President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
Mr Biden announced the new policies in a speech at the White House at 11.15 am, just one day after he said he intends to make his first visit to the US-Mexico border next week when he visits Mexico for a trilateral summit with the Mexican and Canadian heads of government.
Read the full details here:
US will begin expelling Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans who cross border illegally
The new programme result in the immediate expulsion of anyone from those nations who crosses the US-Mexico border between ports of entry
Biden vows to ‘fix this broken system’ of the border
President Joe Biden has vowed to “fix this broken system” of immigration at the US’s southern border with Mexico.
“Our problems at the border didn’t arise overnight. And they won’t be solved overnight,” he tweeted on Sunday.
“But, we can come together to fix this broken system. We can secure the border and fix the immigration process to be orderly, fair, safe, and humane.”
Trump: ‘No excuses’ for border
After Joe Biden’s visit to El Paso on his way to Mexico, Donald Trump has weighed in on the southern border on Truth Social saying there are “no excuses” for what is happening there.
The former president wrote: “There can be NO EXCUSES for what is happening on our Southern Border. We are like a Third World Nation, but worse. Our Country is falling apart (in so many other ways, also). Anybody check out our Airports lately?”
Biden, AMLO and Trudeau issue joint statement on Brazil
The White House has released a joint statement by President Joe Biden, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the events in Brasilia over the weekend.
Canada, Mexico, and the United States condemn the January 8 attacks on Brazil’s democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power. We stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions. Our governments support the free will of the people of Brazil. We look forward to working with President Lula on delivering for our countries, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond.
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