WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said on “NewsNation Now” that any immigration deal reached with Republicans is likely to face “criticism” from progressives.
“Yes, there are some on the left of the Democratic Party who won’t support those changes. But the president has made it very clear he’s willing to advance the right policy, even in the face of that criticism,” Smith said.
The Biden administration recently announced new asylum restrictions to deter migrants from traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, a move seen by progressives as walking back campaign promises when he first ran against former President Donald Trump.
Nevertheless, Smith told NewsNation that asylum claims cannot be carte blanche.
“There are people in the U.S. who have been here for years, you know, who are working, paying taxes, productive members of the community,” he said. “I think we need a more thoughtful approach than that. But absolutely, we cannot have a completely open door on any and all asylum claims. We’ve seen the impact of that across the country.”
Biden hosted top congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday to underscore Ukraine’s security needs as it continues to fight Russia’s nearly two-year-old invasion, hoping to add momentum to efforts to pass $110 billion in stalled aid to Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, in one of his few direct encounters with the president, used the face-to-face moment to push Biden for tougher border security measures, with the speaker telling him that GOP lawmakers were demanding “substantive policy change” and insisting that the White House’s executive actions on immigration had weakened the border.
