POLITICO NIGHTLY: Biden’s border crisis up close

 

r   BY RENUKA RAYASAM Presented by ‘DETERRENTS AND RANDOM MERCY’ — Joe Biden just can’t escape the turmoil emanating from Del Rio. After enduring a backlash among progressives and criticism from Republican immigration hawks, the situation at the Southwest Texas border town had seemed to be stabilizing. Then on Wednesday the U.S. envoy to Haiti quit over the administration’s handling of the thousands of largely Haitian migrants seeking U.S. asylum — many of whom have now been sent back to a country that has experienced a series of destabilizing events in recent months including a coup and an earthquake. Nightly reached out to Jack Herrera, who spent several days reporting in Del Rio for a piece for POLITICO Magazine, to talk with him about the situation on the ground. This conversation has been edited. Can you describe how the Biden administration’s approach to immigration is playing out right now? “Draconian” is absolutely the correct adjective to describe their response on the border. They’re trying to send a message: If you come, you won’t be let in. But at the same time, certain vulnerable groups are being let in and that includes unaccompanied minors, families with young children and other people in extenuating circumstances. On the ground in terms of who gets paroled into the country and who gets expelled, it seems like that’s subjective. Decisions are being made on the ground by border patrol agents. It’s not a very clear chain of command. When that happens, you get a bizarre mix of deterrents and random mercy. How did all these Haitian migrants end up crossing in Del Rio? From my interviews with some Haitian migrants as well as with the attorneys who have interviewed a lot of these folks it seems like it was a complicated rumor that people were being allowed to cross the border in Del Rio. The reason they all arrived on the same day was actually they arrived on Mexican Independence Day. Because Mexican immigration authorities have been cracking down on movement throughout the region, migrants figured that during the Independence Day celebration, they would be distracted and it’d be easier to travel. Migrants wash their clothes in the Rio Grande River near a makeshift encampment under the International Bridge between Del Rio, Texas and Acuña, Mexico. | Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images What are things like now? Things are winding down. There are 5,000 people still in the camp. That’s a much lower number than the 15,000 peak. Mexico has also cracked down on the Acuña side, so it will be difficult for more people to show up. I guess maybe by the beginning of next week, there’ll be very few people left, if any. It’s still a zoo though. There are so many people it’s hard for volunteers to keep up. I met some asylum seekers at the airport. They said they would be sleeping on the bench. I gave them the number to the Haitian Bridge Alliance to see if they could help them find accommodations. They said, “there’s just nothing in a hundred mile radius. We have the money to buy you a hotel room, but there is just no option.” So a lot of people have been sleeping on the streets. How do residents feel about the situation? It’s an interesting mix of sympathy, but also not a lot of patience. I met one woman who was dropping off food and donations, and actually toys for the people under the bridge and handing it to Border Patrol. I asked her, “how do you feel about these folks?” She’s like, “well, they’re human beings. They are coming from really terrible situations.” But she didn’t think they should let them in. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author rrayasam@politico.com and on Twitter at @RenuRayasam. A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria’s companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes – by taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. We are investing in a diverse mix of businesses to broaden options beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. See how we’re moving.   WHAT'D I MISS? — Education Secretary backs mandatory school Covid-19 vaccines: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona declared his support for mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible schoolchildren today, saying the FDA’s full approval of jabs for certain adolescents should clear the way for state officials to implement plans to begin vaccinations. — CDC panel endorses Pfizer booster shot for elderly, high-risk people: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee has endorsed the use of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 booster shot for elderly people and those who may be at risk of developing severe disease, a move that could allow broad latitude for people to access additional doses. — Amazon CEO Andy Jassy makes first visit to Capitol Hill since taking top job: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made his first visit to Capitol Hill this week since taking on his new post — meeting with top congressional leaders as Amazon faces increasing scrutiny from Washington, according to a person briefed on the matter. — Former FreedomWorks grassroots organizer arrested for role in Jan. 6 riot: An FBI investigation that included an airport stakeout led to the arrest Friday of a former grassroots organizer for the conservative group FreedomWorks for allegedly taking part in the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 as electoral votes were being tallied. Brandon Prenzlin, 26, faces four federal misdemeanor charges, including entering the Capitol without permission and disorderly conduct.   TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Do you listen to POLITICO podcasts? We want to hear from you! Tell us what you like, what you could do without, and what you want to see in the future from the POLITICO Audio team! Your responses will help us improve our offerings and tailor our podcast content to better fit your needs. Find the survey here.     ON THE HILL READING THE TEA LEAVES — Democratic leaders are racing to infuse momentum on turbulent negotiations over Biden’s social spending plans as Congress hurtles toward critical deadlines next week. So far, though, those last-ditch efforts to tout unity are only fueling more confusion. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today delivered a cryptic announcement that they had agreed to “a framework” of options to pay for their ambitious legislation, raising questions in all corners of the party about precisely who had signed off, on what and for how much. “The White House, the House and the Senate have reached agreement on a framework that will pay for any final negotiation,” Schumer told reporters today. “It’s not about a price tag, it’s about values,” Pelosi added. House Democrats are planning to mark up the massive package on Saturday, according to Budget Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). JAN. 6 SUBPOENAS GO OUT — The select panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is issuing subpoenas to four current and former top aides to former President Donald Trump, including his most recent chief of staff Mark Meadows. The committee issued its first subpoenas today to Meadows; former Pentagon official and longtime House Intelligence Committee aide Kash Patel; former top White House adviser Steve Bannon; and longtime Trump social media chief Dan Scavino. It marks a turning point in the investigation as lawmakers begin homing in on Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results. IRON DOME FUNDING PASSES — The House today overwhelmingly passed a bill to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, just two days after it was pulled from a government funding package over objections from progressive lawmakers. The bill passed by a vote of 420-9, with eight Democrats and one Republican voting against it, plus two Democrats voting present. But for the majority party, the episode served to further expose its internal strife over the U.S.-Israel relationship, with progressives demanding a policy doctrine that takes into account the plight of Palestinians and pushes back on Israel’s retaliatory offensives in Gaza.       NIGHTLY NUMBER $147,719 The amount of money the Biden administration sent school officials in Alachua County, Florida, to make up for fines from the state’s Department of Education, marking the first awards granted by the feds in the fight against Republican-led states and their Covid-19 policies. Alachua is one of 11 school districts in Florida to mandate masks for students in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who wants parents to have the ultimate say on face coverings in schools.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.     PARTING WORDS CHINA HITS BACK — China’s new ambassador in D.C. isn’t buying Biden’s warning to the United Nations General Assembly about rising authoritarianism, writes China Watcher host Phelim Kine. On Wednesday, Qin Gang issued an implicit rebuke to Biden’s U.N. speech, telling a crowd of China wonks that the country’s seven decades of one-party rule is actually a misunderstood form of democracy. Qin’s comments suggest an implicit response to elements of Biden’s speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday about a struggle between authoritarianism and “the age of democracy” that included a ringing endorsement of pro-democracy activists from Belarus to Venezuela. Qin flagged Biden’s planned Summit for Democracy in December, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said will include China’s arch-rival Taiwan, as a looming flashpoint for U.S.-China disagreement. And he made clear that the Chinese Communist Party won’t budge amid U.S. criticism of China’s authoritarian system. “Some people are busy fanning up the battle between democracy and authoritarianism, and putting together an alliance of democracies,” Qin said. “To define America’s relations with China as democracy versus authoritarianism and to stoke up ideological confrontation … has led to serious difficulties in China-U.S. relations.” Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria’s companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes. Today, we are taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. From cigarettes to innovative alternatives. By investing in a diverse mix of businesses, Altria is working to further broaden options. Our companies are encouraging adult smokers to transition to a range of choices that go beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. From tobacco company to tobacco harm reduction company. And while Altria is moving forward to reduce harm, we are not moving alone. We are working closely with FDA and other regulatory bodies, and will work strictly under their framework. See how we’re moving.     Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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