White House bolsters border policy with DHS and USAID experts

The White House has bolstered its border policy team by appointing an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security to fortify the nation's immigration policies.

According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the Biden administration has appointed Blas Nuñez-Neto as the key expert on border issues.

In a press briefing on Friday (May 3), Jean-Pierre stated that current DHS Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, Nuñez-Neto, will continue"his work in implementing the administration's vision across the border security and immigration spaces."

The White House spokeswoman stated that Núñez-Neto's arrival reflects the administration's dedication "to fixing the broken immigration system."

Núñez-Neto, a pivotal figure in shaping U.S. border and immigration policy, was instrumental as the DHS assistant secretary in forging a bipartisan Senate agreement. The proposal garnered bipartisan support but ultimately did not secure passage. As a prominent government official, he has been at the forefront of addressing the unprecedented influx of migrants at the southern border. Moreover, Núñez-Neto's efforts have been crucial in reestablishing repatriation flights for Venezuelan nationals.

The Biden administration, as stated by Press Secretary Jean-Pierre, expects Núñez-Neto to continue dialogues with leaders across the political spectrum to achieve a border security agreement.

"We actually want to see that bipartisan immigration agreement move forward. That's what we want to see. That is going to be the most comprehensive way to deal with a broken immigration system," said Jean-Pierre.

Alongside Núñez-Neto, Marcela Escobari, a Bolivian-born migrant and former bureau chief for Latin America and the Caribbean at USAID, has been enlisted by the White House. The Hill reports that Escobari will replace Katie Tobin, an immigration adviser for the National Security Council who announced her departure from the administration in January.

The imminent appointments, though the White House said no announcements are expected come as immigration remains the main concern among Americans during this electoral year, topping the list of a monthly Gallup survey for the third time in a row, the pollster said on Tuesday.

Asked an open-ended question about what they thought was the most important problem facing the U.S. at the moment, over a quarter of respondents (27%) said immigration.

The figure is slightly lower than February and March (28% in both months) but still nine percentage points above the second choice, the functioning of government.

The figures have stayed even though border crossings have shown a drastic dip since December, according to recent figures obtained by The Washington Post.

Migrants crossing the southern border have decreased more than 40% since December and have remained relatively stable through the first four months of 2024. In April, U.S. border agents encountered about 130,000 migrants entering illegally from Mexico, a level that is high by historical standards but lower than February and March.

Migrant encounters by U.S. Border Patrol agents usually increase in the spring, when seasonal hiring picks up. But that did not happen this year for the first time since Biden took office.

"This spring has been an anomaly," said Adam Isacson, a border security analyst who tracks monthly enforcement data at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a D.C.-based advocacy group. "It's gotten much, much harder for migrants to make it to the U.S. border."

Still, Biden is expected to issue an executive order aimed at further stemming the flow of migrants reaching the country. The provision Biden is looking into would make it harder for immigrants to request asylum in the country, something that doesn't require congressional approval.

Other measures currently being considered are: a sweeping presidential authority that allows him to "suspend the entry" of foreigners when it is determined that their arrival is not in the best interest of the country; and the ability to turn asylum seekers away if they cross illegally.

--With assistance from Alejandro Angeles