McALLEN, TEXAS (AP) — At least two mayors from the Texas border will head to Washington on Tuesday when President Joe Biden is expected to announce an executive order that will mark his latest and most aggressive plan to reduce the number of migrants allowed to seek asylum in the U.S.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen and Edinburgh Mayor Ramiro Garza confirmed they were invited by the White House to an immigration announcement on Tuesday. Cowen told the Associated Press that he plans to attend, while Garza said he would have more details about his plans on Monday.
Notably, the Democratic mayor of Eagle Pass, the Texas-Mexico border town where migrant numbers have led to a state-federal clash over border security, had not received an invitation as of Sunday. McAllen’s mayor said he was invited but was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about other mayors invited to the announcement.
The AP reported last week that the White House was finalizing an executive order that could block asylum claims and automatically deny entry to migrants once the number of people encountered by U.S. border officials exceeded a new daily threshold.
Unilateral action is expected even though the number of border crossings on the U.S. southern border has declined since December, due in large part to Mexico’s increased enforcement efforts. But Biden wants to avoid any potential surge in crossings that could occur later in the year as the fall elections approach, when the weather cools and numbers are likely to rise.
Immigration remains a concern for voters ahead of the November elections, with Republicans eager to punish Biden electorally over the issue. Democrats responded that Republicans, at the behest of Donald Trump, killed a bipartisan border agreement in Congress that would have led to the toughest legislative restrictions on asylum in years.
