Joe Biden's U.S.-Mexico Border Visit: What to Expect

President Joe Biden is set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday for the first time in his presidency, acknowledging a major issue for his administration.

The White House announced Biden would introduce a series of measures aimed at tackling the ongoing border issue, something Republicans and other critics, in their view, have lambasted the president for not taking seriously.

During his visit, Biden is set to visit El Paso, Texas, a major port of entry for illegal immigration into the United States. While the president is not expected to reveal any new policy details, he is set to confirm plans to reduce pressure on Border agents. Biden is also set to meet with border officials as well as local lawmakers where they will discuss the migration crisis.

According to Reuters, U.S. Border Patrol agents reported a record of 2.2. million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2022 fiscal year that ended in September. That number also includes individuals who tried to cross the border multiple times.

In October and November 2022, the U.S. Border Patrol reported there were more than 450,000 people who attempted to cross the border.

Illegal immigration is set to be a top agenda item when Biden continues to travel south to Mexico City on Monday where he will meet with Mexican and Canadian leaders for a North American leaders summit.

Who Will Biden Meet With During His Visit?

The president will meet local officials as well as faith-based organization leaders at the El Paso County Migrant Services Center on Sunday. Biden will then visit local business leaders where he will hear about the impact illegal immigration has had on the region, CNN reported.

Who Will Accompany Biden?

According to Reuters, Biden will be joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. He will also be accompanied by Texas Democrat representatives Henry Cuellar, Veronica Escobar, and Vicente González during his visit.

White House to Increase Humanitarian Assistance

Last Thursday, Biden vowed to increase humanitarian assistance to Mexico and Central America by announcing $23 million in additional aid.

The White House release said: "This new assistance will help governments in the region respond to the increased humanitarian and protection needs of migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations in their care."

It continued: "Recognizing that no one country can respond to these needs alone, this assistance will help support shelter, health, legal assistance, mental health and psychosocial support, water, sanitation, hygiene products, gender-based violence response, livelihoods, other protection-related activities, and capacity building for partners."

Parole Process Expansion for Migrants

Biden will likely expand on his White House comments he made last Thursday about a new parole process and how it will affect migrants from Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba.

According to the Biden administration, up to 30,000 people per month from those three countries, as well as Venezuela, who pass background checks can come into the country for two years to receive work authorization.

The White House release added: "Individuals who irregularly cross the Panama, Mexico, or U.S. border after the date of this announcement (January 5) will be ineligible for the parole process and will be subject to expulsion to Mexico, which will accept returns of 30,000 individuals per month from these four countries who fail to use these new pathways."

The Biden administration also announced plans to welcome upwards of 20,000 refugees from the Caribbean and Latin America during the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.