Biden won’t announce border executive order at SOTU: White House

Biden will give the State of the Union address Thursday
WH: President will likely encourage Congress to pass border security bill
GOP invited guests with heavy immigration focus to SOTU

Updated: Mar 7, 2024 / 10:27 AM CST

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 29: United States President Joe Biden visits the Texas border to remark on immigration reform on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Brownsville. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden is not expected to announce any executive orders on the border ahead of or during Thursday’s State of the Union address, a White House official confirmed to NewsNation.

The White House has been weighing its options, but Biden will likely use the speech as an opportunity to call on Congress to act.

Immigration has become a hot-button issue this election year, and the president will likely put pressure on Congress to pass a border security bill after Republicans rejected a bipartisan proposal out of the Senate that had the White House’s backing.

Biden traveled to the border last week — his second time since taking office — and he is likely to use the bully pulpit Thursday to remind Americans what GOP lawmakers are opposing.

Republican lawmakers have invited guests who place a heavy focus on the nation’s broken immigration system.