Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday ripped President Biden’s latest relief for certain immigrants, calling it a “disaster.”
“From the average Americans’ point of view, what Biden did is a disaster. He took a gallon of gasoline, and he poured it on fire,” Graham said on “Fox News Sunday.” “He unilaterally gave 500,000 people legal status, calling it parole in place. There’s nothing in our law, he’s the most lawless president ever on immigration.”
Biden issued sweeping immigration relief last week that would allow certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to stay in the country and work legally.
The action expands the regularization program, known as parole in place, allowing a foreign national who entered the U.S. without authorization to stay for a certain period of time. The program largely impacts military families and spouses.
The president also announced new measures to ease the process for immigrants living in the country illegally to apply for a visa application.
Graham, a staunch critic of Biden’s border policies, said the recent relief will send a wider message to the world.
“So, the idea is spreading around the world, Biden just gave amnesty legally to half a million people. ‘Maybe I should keep coming.’ The reason the border is broken is Biden chose to overturn every policy [former President] Trump had,” Graham said.
“[The U.S. has] the most lawless border now because of policy changes by Biden, and it’s not a small deal, it’s a big deal,” he said, adding later, “I’ve never been more worried about a 9/11 more than I am now.”
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly criticized Biden over his border policies, arguing his actions have contributed to the mass influx of migrants entering the U.S. at the southern border.
Biden’s latest action comes weeks after he issued a separate executive order that gives the White House additional authority to restrict the flow of migrants. It allows border officials to turn away migrants at the southern border when the seven-day average of daily border crossings exceeds 2,500 between ports of entry.
Republicans similarly took issue with that order, arguing it does not include several long-sought border security measures demanded by the GOP.