The Morning: Addressing immigration

Plus, a stage collapse in Mexico, Justice Samuel Alito and "the best pizza in the country."

View in browser|nytimes.com May 23, 2024 SUPPORTED BY UPWAY By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering Biden's immigration policy — as well as a stage collapse in Mexico, Justice Samuel Alito and "the best pizza in the country." President Biden in El Paso. Doug Mills/The New York Times Change may be coming President Biden and his aides describe this year's election as crucial — existential, even — because of Donald Trump's hostility to democracy. Many outside experts agree. Yet given the election's importance, the Biden administration has been notably slow to address one of his biggest political vulnerabilities: immigration. Polls show that immigration is a top concern of voters, often trailing only the economy. Most voters are unhappy with Biden's handling of the issue and say they trust Trump more on it. Even Democratic mayors and governors have criticized Biden for the surge of migration on his watch. Despite this situation, the White House has been reluctant to act aggressively for most of the past few years. Only in the past six months has it begun to do so. Administration officials are now preparing executive actions to tighten the border, according to my reporting, and Politico has written that Biden is likely to sign them next month. In today's newsletter, I'll trace the history of Biden's immigration policy and explain what's likely to happen next. Biden's loosening If you're a loyal Democrat, I can guess what you may be thinking right now: Hey, wait! Biden tried to pass an immigration bill, and Republicans stopped him. That's true, but it's only one part of a larger story. Late last year, the White House worked with a bipartisan group of senators to tighten border security. The plan revolved around policies Republicans favor. Yet Trump, recognizing that it could have helped Biden politically, persuaded Republicans to kill it. Eagle Pass, Texas. Cheney Orr for The New York Times The move was transparently cynical, as Biden has pointed out. Rather than help the country solve a problem, Trump and his allies prioritized partisan gain. The plan they killed would have expanded border patrols, increased the number of immigration judges and made the asylum system both tougher and fairer. But it's worth remembering that this bill didn't come up until almost three years into Biden's presidency, long after his initial policies had helped cause the migration surge. He campaigned in 2020 promising not only to undo Trump's cruel policies — such as family separation — but also to welcome more migrants. After taking office, he signed executive orders to do both. Biden tried to pause deportations. He changed the definition of asylum to include fear of gang violence. He used immigration parole — which the law says should be used "on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons" — to admit hundreds of thousands of people. The parole programs alone amounted to "the largest expansion of legal immigration in modern U.S. history," Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News wrote. Would-be migrants, as well as the Mexican cartels that run transit networks, heard a clear message: Entering the United States had become easier. The number of people attempting to do so spiked almost immediately. Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Only encounters between ports of entry are shown. | By The New York Times Biden's policy changes aren't the only cause, to be clear. The end of the pandemic played a role, as did chaos in parts of Latin America. And Biden has since taken some steps to curb migration. In recent months, his administration has collaborated with the Mexican government to reduce the flow of people from other countries who reach the U.S.-Mexico border. That collaboration helps explain the recent decline in border crossings that you can see in the above chart. Costs and benefits Still, these policies have been relatively modest compared with what Biden could have tried. He could have worked with Congress sooner on a border bill. He could have reversed his parole expansion and done more to tighten asylum rules. He could have issued the executive orders that he is only now considering (which may shut the border when crossings exceed a certain level). Republicans are happy to remind voters of these options: Mike Johnson, the House speaker, went so far as to give Biden a list of actions he could have taken and hasn't. Yes, federal judges might block some of these policies, but the Supreme Court has given presidents wide latitude on border policy. Either way, even the announcement of the polices could have an impact. It would send a message that the border was no longer as open as it once was. I understand that some Democrats prefer a more open border on humanitarian grounds. The U.S. is an affluent country, and millions of people rationally believe their lives would be better here. Allowing more to come, even if they are not true refugees, has large benefits. But it has downsides, too. The recent immigration surge has stretched budgets and created turmoil along the border and in cities like Chicago, Denver and New York. The surge is also undemocratic in some important ways: Immigration levels have been higher than federal law calls for and higher than most Americans support. Asylum seekers receiving donations in Chicago in 2023. Sebastian Hidalgo for The New York Times Then there are the political effects. The migration surge has been a gift to Trump's campaign — which seems as if it should be alarming even to Democrats who favor high immigration. As Oren Cass, who runs American Compass, a conservative think tank, put it, "If you think there is nothing that matters more in the world than Joe Biden winning the 2024 election, how can you say there is nothing to do in the area of greatest political salience?" Whatever the reasons, Biden appears likely to take bolder action in the next several weeks. For more Senate Democrats have scheduled another vote today on a bipartisan border plan — to highlight Republicans' refusal to pass it, Carl Hulse explains. Giant camps and mass deportations: Trump's immigration plans for a second term are more draconian than his first-term policies, The Times has reported. A MESSAGE FROM UPWAY Memorial Sale: up to $1000 off on your next e-bike Don't miss Upway's Memorial Sale, with savings of up to $1000 extra on your next e-bike! Upway provides certified and brand new e-bikes from top-tier brands at a fraction of the cost – as much as 60% off retail prices. All delivered to your home and backed by a 1-year warranty. Use code MEMORIAL2024 for an additional $100 off your next e-bike purchase. Shop e-bikes THE LATEST NEWS Mexico Strong wind caused a stage to collapse at a campaign rally in the north of the country, killing at least 9 people. Mexico's election has been bloody: Beyond the deadly stage collapse, dozens of candidates for local elections have been killed. Read more about the coming vote. Israel-Hamas War Families of hostages released video of Hamas fighters abducting Israeli female soldiers on Oct. 7. They hope to pressure the Israeli government to push for a hostage release. The decision by Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognize an independent Palestinian state reflects growing frustration with Benjamin Netanyahu, but it does not mean that other countries will follow suit, Roger Cohen writes. More International News Rishi Sunak Stefan Rousseau/Press Association, via Associated Press Britain's prime minister, Rishi Sunak, called a snap election for July 4. His Conservative Party trails in the polls and could lose control of Parliament for the first time in 14 years. New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, is on the brink of civil war. Emmanuel Macron is making a visit. China launched military drills around Taiwan after the island's new president asserted its sovereignty. The Biden administration is debating whether to let Ukraine use American weapons to hit targets inside Russia. In India's election, opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is finding some momentum. "America's monster": Read one journalist's experience investigating an Afghan commander who used brutal tactics to support U.S. troops. Judiciary The "Appeal to Heaven" flag outside the Alitos' vacation home.  A second flag symbolizing support for Trump — which Jan. 6 rioters also carried — flew above Justice Samuel Alito's beach house in New Jersey last summer. The judge overseeing Hunter Biden's tax case in Los Angeles delayed the trial until September. A separate trial, on a gun charge, starts next month. 2024 Election Nikki Haley, who harshly criticized Trump during the Republican primaries, said she would vote for him. In a fund-raising email, Trump accused Biden officials of being ready to kill him during the F.B.I.'s raid on Mar-a-Lago. The false claim is a misreading of a document from Trump's classified-records case. Late night hosts joked about it. An Ohio elections official is threatening to keep Biden's name off the state's ballot in November because of a procedural issue. The Biden campaign could be drawn into a monthslong legal battle. A suspicious package addressed to Trump that contained two vials of blood caused a lockdown at the Republican National Committee headquarters. Policing The city of Uvalde, Texas, agreed to pay $2 million to families of schoolchildren who were shot in a 2022 massacre. U.C.L.A. removed its police chief, weeks after officers failed to intervene as counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian student encampment. Transit Inside a Singapore Airlines flight. Reuters "Whoever wasn't buckled down, they were just launched into the air": Read what happened on a Singapore Airlines flight that suffered deadly turbulence. A power outage stopped trains in the Northeast, stranding thousands. Other Big Stories Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | By The New York Times Baltimore is an outlier on drug overdoses, with a fatality rate twice as high as any other big U.S. city's, an investigation showed. The first human experiment by Elon Musk's brain implant company experienced significant flaws. But the patient said he was "excited to keep going." Opinions A giant crater in Russia should be a warning about the dangers of extraction. But Russia continues to pillage its natural resources, Sophie Pinkham writes. Caitlin Clark broke viewership records playing college basketball. The W.N.B.A. should pay her what she's worth, Joshua Mendelsohn writes. Here's a column by Pamela Paul on what Hollywood owes its Jewish founders. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS Fermenting in Texas. JerSean Golatt for The New York Times Tradition: For America's Ethiopian and Eritrean diaspora, the brewing of suwe or tella — a beerlike beverage — is a way to connect with home. Early bloomer: She just earned her doctorate at 17. Now, she'll go to the prom. Devotion: One woman was drawn to a Hare Krishna ashram for its cheap yoga and volunteer work. Her experience, she says, devolved into emotional and spiritual abuse. Social Q's: "Why doesn't my husband respect my opinion about moving?" Lives Lived: The British author Shirley Conran wrote "Lace," a 1982 tale of female autonomy disguised as a bonkbuster (the British term for a steamy best seller). The book made her a millionaire and introduced the lowly goldfish into the erotic canon. She died at 91. SPORTS N.B.A.: The Dallas Mavericks took a 1-0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had a combined 63 points. N.H.L.: The Florida Panthers won a road Game 1 as well, beating the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference final. N.F.L.: The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said that, while he disagreed with Harrison Butker's contentious comments about women and Pride Month, he thought Butker was a "good person." A MESSAGE FROM UPWAY Memorial Sale: up to $1000 off on your next e-bike Don't miss Upway's Memorial Sale, with savings of up to $1000 extra on your next e-bike! Upway provides certified and brand new e-bikes from top-tier brands at a fraction of the cost – as much as 60% off retail prices. All delivered to your home and backed by a 1-year warranty. Use code MEMORIAL2024 for an additional $100 off your next e-bike purchase. Shop e-bikes ARTS AND IDEAS Unbeatable? Joe Buglewicz for The New York Times Representative Rosa DeLauro plans to read a bombshell statement into the Congressional Record today: She will declare that New Haven, Conn., has "the best pizza in the country." New York pizza makers were predictably incensed when a Times reporter informed them of DeLauro's plan. "This has to be a prank call," said Salvatore Carlino, owner of Lucia in Brooklyn and Manhattan. More on culture Elvis outside the building. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images A judge delayed a plan to sell Graceland, the Tennessee estate of Elvis Presley, at the request of Presley's granddaughter. OpenAI licensed News Corp journalism. That means chatbots will use new and archived work from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and other outlets. The actors Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor will lead a Broadway production of "Romeo and Juliet," with music by the Grammy-winning producer Jack Antonoff. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Broil shrimp, tomatoes and feta on a sheet pan for a meal that comes together in 10 minutes. Learn these first aid basics. Start playing piano with a beginner's keyboard. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were activated, addictive, deactivate, deactivated and dedicative. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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