Biden says he’s ‘ready to act’ on ‘significant’ changes at the border, including asylum

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Friday said he backs “significant policy changes” to asylum law, amid ongoing immigration policy negotiations between the White House and Senate tied to passage of a global security package.

“I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system, to ensure that we have the authority we need to control the border,” Biden said in remarks to mayors gathered at the White House. “I’m ready to act.”

It’s a stark contrast with the president’s campaign promise to “restore our moral standing in the world and our historic role as a safe haven for refugees and asylum-seekers,” as he said in his 2020 acceptance speech at the virtual Democratic National Convention.