Democratic Civil War Erupts Over Biden Immigration Plan

President Joe Biden’s move to shut down much of the southern border is dividing Democrats in even the bluest of states.

Massachusetts Gov.

Maura Healey is standing by Biden in the face of progressive backlash over his executive action to suspend asylum claims that went into effect at midnight and leans on the same rule Donald Trump used during his presidency to try and restrict immigration.

But Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — who, like Healey, is a member of the Biden campaign’s national advisory board — slammed the edict as “a functional ban on asylum” in a statement that said “we can — and should — do better.”

Healey and Warren have been on opposite sides of immigration issues before. Healey lobbied Massachusetts’ congressional delegation to pass the bipartisan border deal that could have funneled more federal dollars to Massachusetts’ costly and overburdened emergency shelter system and tightened immigration rules — including authorizing a similar border shutdown. But Warren stood against it.

For Healey, backing Biden on the border is also a sign she’s willing to put aside her personal politics to help propel the president to a second term. Healey repeatedly sued the Trump administration over immigration policy. But she told reporters Tuesday that Biden took “important action” that “I strongly support” and again blamed Republicans for Congress’ immigration inaction.

Still, Democratic divisions threaten to overshadow the border move that’s seen as a way for the president to both blunt Republicans’ attacks and make overtures to independent voters on a central campaign issue on which the incumbent is polling poorly. Progressive lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups have panned Biden for pulling from Trump’s playbook.

The American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday it would challenge his administration’s policies in court for much the same reason.

Democratic Civil War Erupts Over Biden Border Plan