CNN host Fareed Zakaria suggested on PBS’s “Firing Line” that President Joe Biden should adopt former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Zakaria believes that the current immigration system is broken and in need of comprehensive reform. He proposed a more extreme approach, suggesting that the old asylum system should be eliminated and that individuals must apply for asylum from their home countries. This was a policy implemented by Trump.
Zakaria also mentioned Trump’s policy of requiring individuals to be in Mexico to apply for asylum, and agreed that this was a correct approach. Host Margaret Hoover questioned whether Biden should consider embracing Trump’s policies for political advantage, to which Zakaria argued that it is not only a strategic move but also the right policy decision. He criticized the current asylum system as being exploited by millions of people.
Zakaria expressed disappointment in Biden’s recent compromise with Senate Republicans on immigration, suggesting that the president declare a national security crisis, send in the National Guard, and overhaul the amnesty process. He believes that Trump’s preference for chaos at the border over solving the issue is detrimental, and that Biden should take bold action to address the immigration crisis.
