Arguing that immigrants have made the United States stronger, President Joe Biden Wednesday said that xenophobia from India, China, Russia and Japan has stalled their economic growth, news agency Reuters reported.
“Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they are xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong,” Biden remarked.
The US President was speaking at a Washington fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign, which also marked the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said.
Biden, who is up against Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump in the presidential race, has often criticised his rival for his “anti-immigrant” rhetoric. Trump has promised to curb illegal immigration and restrict legal migration if elected to office. During his campaigning, he has blamed immigrants for the rise of violence in the country.
Biden, meanwhile, has advocated for a more humane-stance on the issue of migrants. Since coming to power, Biden has eased the Trump-era crackdown on migrants and introduced new “parole” policies, which allow certain migrants to enter legally for humanitarian reasons.
However, research shows that Biden is facing criticism from voters over unemployment and immigration. A poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that over half of US adults think that “Biden’s presidency has hurt the country on cost of living and immigration”.
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