President Joe Biden has a history of using psychological projection or outright inversion when speaking in public. This was once again evident on Monday when he responded to a question about taking executive action on the southern border. Standing outside Air Force One in New Hampshire, Biden answered, “I’m counting on the border action happening by itself – them passing it.” This type of statement encapsulates Biden’s distorted perception of immigration and the presidency.
Under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president has the authority to take action on various issues. However, when asked about immigration, Biden stated that he would not act until Congress does. This implies that there are no relevant immigration laws to enforce, which is not the case. In fact, under Article II, Section 3, the president has a duty to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” This means that there are immigration laws that need to be enforced, and it is the president’s responsibility to do so.
Contrary to Biden’s statements, there are numerous federal immigration laws that need to be executed on a daily basis. For example, Section 1227 of the Immigration and Nationality Act states that any alien who violates the law is deportable. This disproves Biden’s claim that laws do not make immigrants illegal. Furthermore, it is the president’s duty to enforce these laws, but he has chosen not to do so.
In contrast, there are many areas where Biden lacks the authority to act, yet he continues to do so. For instance, only Congress has the power to declare war, but in his State of the Union address, Biden made a commitment to not bow down to Russian President Vladimir Putin without seeking approval from Congress. Similarly, the president has no authority over topics such as vaccines, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and student loans, but he still acts as if he does.
It is perplexing that on issues where he has both the authority and the responsibility to act, such as immigration, Biden has chosen to remain inactive. The Constitution clearly states that a president who fails to faithfully execute the laws may be impeached. This makes his refusal to act on illegal immigration even more egregious.
BREAKING: Biden says his has no plans to take executive action on the border crisis pic.twitter.com/63PuZkdlcC
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 11, 2024
Biden’s response to the question about immigration further highlights his distorted view of the presidency. He wrongly believes that he can only take action if Congress does, contradicting the Constitution’s provisions. Meanwhile, in other areas where he lacks the authority, he acts unilaterally. This double standard and failure to fulfill his duties as president raises serious concerns about his leadership abilities.