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President Joe Biden is under new pressure after Arizona's Democratic governor took aim at his administration's policies regarding the U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden is facing bipartisan backlash over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border as the country continues to experience a high number of migrant border crossings. There were more than 2.475 million encounters at the southern border in the fiscal year 2023, an increase from about 2.378 million in fiscal year 2022, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many of these migrants have been bused from Texas to Democratic-controlled "sanctuary cities," which protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, sparking a new wave of Democratic criticism as he seeks to quell concerns about immigration ahead of the 2024 election.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, first elected in 2022, on Friday became the latest Democrat to raise concerns about the U.S.-Mexico border, knocking the Biden administration for not adequately delivering resources to the border.
Hobbs signed an executive order that will send members of the National Guard to assist law enforcement at the southern border.
"We can't stand alone," Hobbs said. "Arizona needs resources and manpower to reopen the Lukeville crossing, manage the flow of migrants, and maintain a secure, orderly and humane border. Despite continued requests for assistance, the Biden administration has refused to deliver desperately needed resources to Arizona's border."
National Guard troops will be sent to locations including near crossings in Lukeville in San Miguel and will tackle fentanyl interdiction, analytical support and human trafficking, The Arizona Republic reported. It remains unclear how many National Guard troops will be sent to the border.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Biden eked out a narrow victory in Arizona in the 2020 presidential election, beating Trump by only 0.3 percentage points. Arizona is a traditionally Republican state that has become more competitive due to growth in Phoenix and Tucson, as well as their suburbs shifting away from Republicans.
Robert Y. Shapiro, professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek Monday that Hobbs and other Democratic critics are giving Biden a "wake-up call" to deal with the border ahead of next year's presidential election.
"This and the economy -- high prices -- will be issues of the highest importance and are weak spots for Biden," Shapiro said.
He added that the border dilemma has "become intractable with no easing in sight," and that his critics are moderate Democrats who "would probably support Biden working with Republicans in Congress to act further, even if at odds with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party."
Several Democrats have shown a new willingness to criticize Biden on the border as polls show him trailing Trump and other potential Republican nominees in the 2024 race. Immigration is expected to be a crucial issue during the presidential election and could leave Biden vulnerable in key swing states like Arizona.
A Morning Consult-Bloomberg poll conducted among 796 registered voters from November 27 to December 6 found Biden trailing in Arizona. Trump led a head-to-head matchup, winning 46 percent of support to Biden's 42 percent. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, for instance, has accused the Biden administration of turning its back on city officials as they grapple with an influx of migrants. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has bused tens of thousands of migrants out of his state and into Democratic-run cities this year, leaving city officials scrambling to find resources and housing for these migrants.
"This is one of the largest humanitarian crises this city has ever experienced. It will impact every service in this city. Why isn't every elected official in Washington, D.C. asking the national government, 'Why are you doing this to New York?' The national government has turned its back on New York City," Adams said during a press conference in April.
Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, also slammed the Biden administration's border policies in remarks to Punchbowl News.
"The White House should take the pulse of the public. Just take a look at what's going on. They want border security. We've got too many people coming. They don't want to do any of this," Manchin told the outlet.
Biden is also facing pressure from more progressive Democrats to avoid making concessions to Republicans amid negotiations on a border security package.
"This is just really bad negotiating on the part of Democrats," Representative Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, told Punchbowl News. "Would Democrats give away abortion rights in exchange for Ukraine money?... Why would Democrats give Trump-style immigration policy in exchange for Ukraine money?"
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week that Biden introduced immigration legislation nearly three years ago and accused Republicans of refusing "to deal with this issue."
Update 12/18/23, 3:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Shapiro.
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About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more