'The border is not open' -Biden's border czar
White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson told reporters the Biden administration is restarting the Central American Minors (CAM) program for children, which between 2014 and 2017 allowed children fleeing violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to settle in the United States.
Former President Donald Trump ended the program in 2017. It had allowed children under 21 years old with parents lawfully living in the United States to apply for a refugee resettlement interview before making the journey to the United States.
The move was the latest step taken by Biden as he tries to create a more humane situation along the border with Mexico.
Mixed messaging by the Biden White House, however, is leading to criticism from Republicans that he is encouraging migrants to make the dangerous journey to try to reach sanctuary in the United States. Democrats complain that Biden is not moving fast enough to release children from Border Patrol custody.
U.S. officials are urging people not to try to cross the border, warning they will be sent back, but also stressing that unaccompanied children will be given shelter and care while their cases are processed.
"The border is not open," said Jacobson, switching to Spanish on a number of occasions during a White House briefing to stress the point.
