Senator Manchin Defends Stricter Border Policies As U.S. Grapples With 'Over Capacity' Crisis

The discussion centered around the ongoing southern border security legislation that bipartisan senators are striving to advance. This comes after Congress declared that they would not approve any new foreign aid to Ukraine unless the U.S. border situation was also addressed within the bill.

CNN host Jake Tapper raised the issue of progressive Democrats' disagreement with stricter border policies. However, Senator Manchin stood firm on his position, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to gain "control" of the situation. "And I think it's dangerous to our country what's happening right now. And I think the majority of people who are sensible, reasonable, and responsible understand that to be so," Manchin stated.

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The senator further elaborated on his viewpoint, arguing that the U.S. needs to halt the influx of individuals entering the country for the wrong reasons or in numbers beyond what the country can handle. He likened the situation to an overcrowded sporting event or concert, stating, "We are over capacity right now. And we have to control this."

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Tapper challenged Manchin's use of the term "dangerous" in describing the migrant crisis, arguing that "most of the people" entering the U.S. "do not pose a danger" to Americans. In response, Manchin contended that the U.S. has been "letting people come in" without adequately adjudicating everyone, pointing out that the volume of people crossing the border greatly surpasses the norm.

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Manchin further explained his stance, stating, "We're going to basically say 'okay, you don't seem to be a threat, maybe.' They don't know because they're not doing, I think, proper screening. When you have 10 and 12,000 people coming a day, and you're only able to basically really adjudicate maybe 500. No more than 1,000 a day, but 500 normally – Jake, you're overrun."

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The senator expressed his unwillingness to take the risk of potentially dangerous individuals entering the country for "nefarious reasons." He expressed confidence in the ongoing negotiations between Republican and Democrat negotiators, who, along with the White House, are committed to getting the border situation under control.

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Bipartisan senators are currently working to modify the nation's asylum and border security laws, aiming to agree on a deal framework that can then be returned to the House for consideration. This legislative push follows the White House's reported willingness to accept new terms regarding asylum, detention, and deportation efforts, after House Republicans insisted on addressing the issue.

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The southern border has seen record numbers of illegal immigrants passing through, with over 188,000 illegal migrants encountered in October alone, according to data from the U.S Customs and Border Protection.

In a recent incident, Mexican authorities discovered ten improvised explosive devices on a man also carrying an AK-47 rifle, who was apprehended by a Border Patrol agent near the Tuscan, Arizona border.