(NewsNation) — Former Trump administration acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said President Joe Biden should reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy and use other measures to turn back migrants at the border, calling the current situation a crisis that has gone unaddressed for too long.
Wolf suggested Wednesday on “NewsNation Now” that Biden take several actions immediately, including reinstating the Trump-era program that forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were processed.
“You could do them all at the same time,” Wolf said of the policies. “Probably first and foremost is you reinstate the ‘Remain in Mexico’ or the migrant protection protocols.”
He also recommended invoking presidential authority under Section 212(f) to expel migrants due to an “emergency” at the border.
The comments came as more than a dozen Democratic members of Congress sent a letter urging Biden to secure the U.S.-Mexico border amid ongoing large numbers of migrant crossings.
Nearly every day since September, hundreds of migrants from China, Colombia and other countries have wiggled through openings in the border wall with Mexico and walked dirt trails to surrender to U.S. agents and seek asylum. Some days, more than 1,000 arrive in the boulder-strewn mountains near San Diego alone.
The Biden administration has faced sustained Republican criticism over its handling of the border situation. Wolf believes there is now “bipartisan frustration” from lawmakers wanting the president to address what he termed a “crisis.”
The White House is considering new asylum rules through executive action, which will be announced Thursday.
Wolf said the same crisis conditions existed for years but questioned why Biden hadn’t acted sooner if not for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.