President Joe Biden spent Thursday night blaming Republicans for the immigration crisis, which continues to worsen as the number of migrants crossing the border reaches near-record levels.
"MAGA Republicans ... spent four years gutting the immigration system under my predecessor. They continue to undermine our border security today," Biden said at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual gala.
Biden added that "we need our colleagues to act" and that immigration reform "had been a bipartisan issue in this country."
Democrats, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and members of the House, have also sought to shift blame for the border crisis to Republicans.
The Biden administration has celebrated its border policies since the end of the Trump-era Title 42 provisions in May, when an expected surge of illegal migrants did not arrive. But illegal crossings are back to near-record highs, and border towns face overwhelming surges, raising concern even among leaders of blue states and cities.
Border agents encountered more than 10,000 migrants from Wednesday to Thursday, Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported, citing Customs and Border Protection sources. Border agents told Fox News earlier this week that they were already nearing a "breaking point."
The White House on Wednesday announced around 472,000 Venezuelans will be eligible for temporary protected status.