After Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border bill Wednesday, it's looking more likely that the Biden administration will move forward with plans to take executive action to deter illegal migration at the southern border. Two sources tell NBC News that the White House is considering measures that would be embraced by Democratic mayors seeing an influx of migrants in their cities, though potentially not by some progressives. More:
- The measures, under consideration for months, "are still being drafted and are not expected to take place any time soon," per NBC. However, the White House reportedly aims to act before the number of migrants at the border spikes again.
- "It's a plan B," one official tells NBC, noting any executive action would fail to match what the bill—including provisions to shut down the border when necessary, restrict asylum, and expand detention capacity—would've accomplished.
- The White House reiterated that Wednesday, stressing the need for Congress "to make significant policy reforms and to provide additional funding to secure our border."