Border Restrictions and Political Shift: Biden and Senate Consider Drastic Measures

President Biden is considering implementing drastic and permanent restrictions on asylum, including the authority to summarily expel migrants, in order to gain support from congressional Republicans for more military aid to Ukraine. This reflects a significant shift in the politics of immigration, driven by record levels of migrant apprehensions, overwhelmed services in Democratic-led cities, and public polling showing unfavorable views of Biden's immigration agenda. The administration's engagement in Senate negotiations on immigration has caused divisions among Democrats, with progressives expressing concerns about adopting Trump's anti-immigrant policies and tying immigration policy to foreign aid funding. Latino lawmakers have criticized the lack of representation in the negotiations, while the White House claims to have briefed them. Former Obama immigration aide Cecilia Muñoz argues that Biden's use of border authorities would be different from Trump's, but critics remain skeptical.