Karine Jean-Pierre blames Republicans for border failure

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has laid the blame on Republicans for collapsing a deal that combined border policy changes with billions dedicated to aiding Ukraine. The $US60 billion bill would’ve sent financial aid to Israel, US allies in Asia, US immigration, and aid for civilians in Gaza and Ukraine. The White House Press Secretary repeatedly criticised Republicans for wasting time and not supporting the deal during a press conference on Tuesday. Jean-Pierre claimed Republicans have “gotten in the way” of the Biden administration for the last years of his term. Despite the blame directed at Republicans for the growing border issue, it was the Biden administration that elevated the crisis. Following Joe Biden’s presidential victory, his administration signed two executive orders on immigration and rolled back many of Donald Trump’s policies. Biden spent roughly his first 100 days in office reversing over 90 actions related to the border, leading to illegal immigration reaching historically high levels. A 2023 fiscal report by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) discovered the number of illegal immigrants entering the US grew year-on-year during Biden’s term. The fiscal year report of illegal immigrants grew from 3.7 million in 2021 to almost 4.8 million in 2022 to nearly 6.2 million in 2023.