White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that the southern border is closed despite the influx of immigration.
Ms. Psaki told “Fox News Sunday” that the Biden administration is seeking a completely different approach than the Trump administration to surge at the border.
“The border remains closed, it is not open,” Ms. Psaki said. “We are turning away the majority of adults, but what we are really talking about here is children and how we’re handling that in the safest and most humane capacity.”
The Biden administration has repeatedly made that claim even though more than a third of those crossing every day — most unaccompanied juveniles and a majority of families — aren’t being expelled but are allowed into the U.S.
Fox News host Chris Wallace questioned the Biden administration’s reluctance to let videographers, photographers and reporters inside U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities amid the increase of immigrants arriving at the southern border.
“At this point in terms of allowing access to Border Patrol facilities for reporters, you are being less transparent than the Trump administration,” Mr. Wallace said to Ms. Psaki.
“Well, first of all, Chris, the Trump administration was turning away kids at the border, sending them back on the treacherous journey or they were ripping kids from the arms of their parents,” Ms. Psaki said. “We’re not doing that. We are committed to allowing cameras into the Border Patrol facilities, absolutely.”
Several of the images available of the situations inside detention facilities operated by immigration officials have been made public by members of Congress.
Ms. Psaki said the Biden administration wanted to provide access to the border facilities but has maintained restrictions on access due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.
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