Reporters recently asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to respond to a viral video showing approximately 600 illegal immigrants storming a southern border checkpoint.
Jean-Pierre minimized the incident’s significance and denied that the administration’s policies contributed to the melee. MSN summarized Jean-Pierre’s statements as “beyond belief.”
When pressed on the matter, the press secretary deftly shifted the spotlight to Republicans and directed the press to discuss the matter with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Jennie Taer and James Breede of the New York Post watched in amazement as determined migrants tore down a barrier and overwhelmed members of the Texas National Guard.
Taer and Breede captured the border breach on video and posted it to X. The post garnered more than 18 million views in 48 hours.
This is the moment when TX National Guard became overrun by migrants rioting to get across the border here in El Paso today
We were there and saw it all happen. Absolute chaos here. pic.twitter.com/VN6Kf663ie
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) March 21, 2024
Many believe the Biden administration’s push to prohibit members of Texas’ National Guard or police force to arrest those who enter the country illegally. Notably, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently challenged a proposed Texas law, SB4, which would authorize local law enforcement to secure the border.
The DOJ escalated the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, which remanded the case to a lower court. A federal appeals court placed a stay on implementing the law while a panel of judges reviewed constitutional arguments from both sides.
Abbott maintains that Texas law enforcement personnel officers are responsible for protecting citizens in the state — a task that includes apprehending illegal immigrants. Abbott argues Texas law enforcement officers must act because the federal government refuses to secure the border.
On Friday, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, pushed back on White House comments inferring that he was responsible for Thursday’s breach. Jeane-Pierre said he thanked border patrol agents and then “called on Abbott to address the southern border crisis,” according to the Daily Caller.
Speaking with the Daily Caller, Mahaleris said sarcastically that the White House’s use of “mental gymnastics” to redefine reality was “astonishing.”
Fox News captured the press conference. Jean-Pierre’s comments on the border begin at the 31:40 mark of the video.
Clarifying what happened, Mahaleris said, “Yesterday’s surge in El Paso is the direct result of the unsustainable chaos President Biden has unleashed on the border.”
Mahaleris added: “Texas will continue to utilize every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings as President Biden’s dangerous open border policies encourage migrants from over 150 countries to make unsafe and illegal crossings between ports of entry.”
