"Biden's Border Funding Plea Amid Migrant Surge Sparks Political Tensions Ahead of 2024"

President Biden faced criticism for suggesting that a lack of funding is hindering his ability to secure the U.S. southern border amidst record-high illegal immigrant crossings, with December 2023 seeing over 300,000 migrant encounters. Critics, including Fox News contributors and Republican senators, argue that the issue is not financial but rather a lack of political will to enforce existing immigration laws and secure the border. Biden's comments were made in the context of increasing pressure from both conservatives and some Democratic leaders to address the ongoing border crisis.