DeSantis says he’d declare border emergency on first day in Oval Office

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said he would declare a border emergency on the first day of his presidency in a Wednesday op-ed for The Des Moines (Iowa) Register.

“On day one of my presidency, I will declare a national emergency and shut down all illegal entries,” the Florida governor wrote. “Phony asylum claims aimed at bypassing proper immigration processes will no longer be entertained.“

“I will end the abuse of parole authority being used to usher in thousands of illegal immigrants monthly. And I will fully empower Border Patrol and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport those with no legitimate right to be here,” DeSantis continued. 

DeSantis also took shots at President Biden and former President Trump over their handling of border policy.

“This crisis has reached unprecedented levels under President Joe Biden, who has failed to fulfill his constitutional oath to take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” DeSantis said. “Biden would not have been able to get away with letting in 8 million illegal aliens if we had a border wall — something Donald Trump promised, but failed to deliver.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has expressed that negotiators are making their way closer to a long-contested deal on the border that could also pave the way for Ukraine aid.

“We’re making progress. We’re closer than we have been, but this is a very difficult issue and there’s still different issues to be overcome with,” Schumer told reporters after opening the Senate for the second half of the 118th Congress. 

“Everyone’s going to have to give something to get this done. No one can just get his or her own way,” Schumer said.