President Joe Biden plans to visit the southern border with Mexico on Sunday, for the first time since taking office, according to an administration official.
Biden will visit El Paso, Texas, "to address border enforcement operations and meet with local officials, who have been important partners in managing the historic number of migrants fleeing political oppression and gang violence in Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba," the official said.
Since he became president, Republicans have hammered Biden on his handling of immigration and the persistent migrant crisis at the southern border, making it a top campaign issue in last year's midterm elections.
Despite that pressure, Biden has resisted their calls for him to actually visit the border.
Venezuelan migrants crowd around an outdoor bonfire as temperatures plummet along the Mexican-U.S. border, Dec. 22, 2022, in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Morgan Lee/AP
The president also plans to deliver remarks Thursday about a new policy that will admit up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Venezuelans had already been able to apply for admission as part of the program, known as migrant parole.
The migrants must meet certain sponsorship criteria and who pass background checks and additional vetting, according to the Biden administration.
The Biden administration also announced Thursday it planned to expand certain restrictions on migrants, even as it fights in court to end the "Title 42" pandemic-era restrictions the federal government is currently enforcing.
President Joe Biden talks with reporters outside of the White House, Jan. 4, 2023, in Washington.
Susan Walsh/AP
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
