Scoop: Inside the White House's border assurances to Hispanic lawmakers
Stef W. Kight,
Hans Nichols
Biden officials have told Hispanic lawmakers that they are resisting GOP demands to limit the administration's authority to release migrants through the legal tool known as parole, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The assurances on parole will complicate the already-fraught negotiations with Republicans over pairing additional aid to Ukraine — a key priority for President Biden — with major changes to border policy.
Behind the scenes: The administration's holding-the-line message was conveyed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients over a Zoom call this weekend.
Top Biden officials are trying to placate members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who have expressed public anger at being left out of border policy negotiations.
They told the lawmakers that they would brief them again — before any potential deal is reached.
But Latino lawmakers remain frustrated that they haven't been more involved in the talks.
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https://www.axios.com/2023/12/20/biden-border-hispanic-parole-migrant-crisis
