Arizona congressman says Biden’s executive order on border could do more harm than good

PHOENIX — The first Mexican-born naturalized American to represent Arizona in Congress isn’t impressed with President Joe Biden’s executive order on immigration.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani said he was skeptical about the border security measure during a Wednesday interview with KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.

“Serious problems call for serious solutions,” Ciscomani said. “This is anything but serious in terms of the way that he’s pretending to want to address this.”

Ciscomani represents Arizona’s Congressional District 6, which shares border land with Mexico. He has spoken extensively about the need for more border security resources as Arizona sees record high numbers of migrant crossings.

Biden’s executive order, which he issued on Tuesday, would halt asylum processing at the U.S. border with Mexico when illegal entries reach a threshold seen as excessive.

Ciscomani dismissed it as political lip service.

“There’s really nothing in it that will make a difference,” he said. “It’s it’s very small in terms of the change and even that change, I think, ends up harming more than helping.”

Furthermore, he said it could even do more harm than good.

What is President Joe Biden’s executive order on immigration?

Currently, around 4,000 people enter the U.S. each day. This made Biden’s new measure take effect immediately because it suspends and limits entry by noncitizens when Customs and Border Protection agents have encountered an average of 2,500 people per day who crossed the border illegally.

That restrictions will continue until average daily arrests for illegal crossings fall below 1,500 for a straight week. The last time the U.S. saw such low numbers was in July 2020, The Associated Press reported.

The 2,500 cap doesn’t include unaccompanied minors, which will encourage cartels to further exploit children, Ciscomani said.

“With this policy, the president is setting up a business plan for the cartels to continue their activity now with specific metrics that they have to meet every day so they can continue to do this,” he said. “It’s giving basically permission for 2,500 or more to enter before the law starts being enforced. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Other issues Rep. Juan Ciscomani has with Biden’s border measure

Additionally, Ciscomani said Biden’s executive order on immigration doesn’t actually shut down asylum claims.

“When you put limits on this and you say 2,500 a day — first of all, this isn’t even include any other people that are signing up through the One app,” Ciscomani said.

He was referring to the CBP One app, which works as a portal to various services provided by Customs and Border Protection. Migrants seeking asylum use it to schedule appointments at various ports of entry.

“That has about 1,500 (people) a day for that, so you can add to the 2,500, those 1,500,” he said.

As an immigrant, Ciscomani said this subject is deeply personal.

“I’m not opposing this or criticizing it just out of any other reason except that I understand this system well because I went through it,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.