Biden hunt for border actions coming up empty

On his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border this week, President Biden rued the death of the bipartisan Senate border policy bill, called on former President Trump to join him in calling for the bill’s revival and tried to flip the script on his weakest issue. But he did not sign a much-prognosticated executive action to crack down on asylum.

Presidential power on immigration and border policy is expansive, but multiple administrations have hit a brick wall with court challenges blocking executive efforts to work around legislative impasses.

Republicans including Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) have chided Biden for not taking enough executive steps to address conditions at the border, but the administration has few short-term tools left.

For instance, the Biden administration has already tightened asylum regulations, though without extra funding to implement those restrictions, they have little effect on everyday enforcement.