President Joe Biden’s executive action limiting asylum claims at the southern border – a dramatic step to address one of the main concerns of voters five months before the election – drew mixed reactions: applause from many Democrats but also disappointment from some progressives and scorn. of the Republicans who acted as too-little, too late trying to score a political victory on the issue that has hampered the Democrats.
Democrats who supported him praised Biden for taking action to implement the same policies that congressional Republicans blocked from Congress earlier this year.
“When the president makes an announcement, let’s be clear about one thing: legislation will be the most effective way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
“President Biden has made it clear from the beginning that he favors legislation, but because Republicans are stubborn — rejecting any real opportunity for strong border legislation — the president has no choice but to act on his own.”
Congressional Republicans came out in unison against Biden’s executive action, which would limit asylum applications during high traffic at the southern border.
“This is like turning a garden hose on a five-alarm fire, and the American people are not stupid. They know that this play is too late,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said.
McConnell highlighted the rise in immigration and the alarming rate of fentanyl-related deaths that have occurred under the Biden administration, and said Biden’s decision to act now is an attempt to save lives before the election.
Biden also faced opposition from his own party, especially progressives who compared the president’s executive actions to the policies of former President Donald Trump, whom Democrats excoriated at the time.
“By reviving Trump’s asylum ban, President Biden has undermined American values and abandoned our nation’s obligation to give people fleeing persecution, violence, and authoritarianism the opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S.,” said Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat, in a statement.
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, meanwhile, called the move “very disappointing” in the post on X.
Democratic Rep. Nanette Barragán, chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus called Biden’s move a “mistake.”
“I’m disappointed that this is the direction the president has decided. We think it should be paired with positive action and protection for undocumented people who have been here for a long time,” he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union vowed legal action, arguing in a statement that executive action “will put thousands of lives at risk.”
“We intend to challenge this order in court. It was illegal when Trump did it, and it’s no less illegal now,” Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrant Rights Project, said in a statement.
Polls show Biden has struggled to win voters’ trust when it comes to border policy. Only 30% of respondents to an ABC News/Ipsos poll last month said they trusted Biden to handle immigration at the southern border, compared with 47% who said the same about Trump.
There were signs Tuesday that Biden’s executive actions could sway key voters: those who supported former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican primary who have been hesitant to support Trump this fall.
In a statement, Haley’s Voter Working Group said Tuesday’s news was “welcome.”
“Leadership means doing the right thing, even if it’s too late … it’s the right thing,” said Amanda Stewart Sprowls, a Haley voter from Arizona.
Tom Evslin, a Haley voter from Vermont, said that “as president, Biden will be judged by his actions and not his words.”
“Even if it’s better for Congress to act on the border, Biden deserves respect for listening to voters in the middle of politics,” Evslin said.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller and John Parkinson contributed to this report.