Karine Jean-Pierre blames record number of border crossings on countries experiencing 'economic collapse'
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question on the record number of migrant encounters at the southern border reported on Monday.
Twitter users called out White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s response to record levels of crossings at the southern border on Monday.
Recent reports from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed a record more than 227,000 border encounters in September with more than 2.3 million for fiscal year 2022.
A reporter asked Jean-Pierre about the the report, which was originally released on Friday. Jean-Pierre responded by noting that many of these encounters are "driven by people who are fleeing falling regimes and economic collapse" and attacked Republicans for taking advantage of them.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
"We're seeing, again, a different challenge ahead of us that we're dealing with. But, you know, and we've talked about this while we're trying to deal with the challenges, as you all know, you have Republican governors who are using these migrants, using these folks who are trying to flee communism, falling regimes and economic collapse. As I just mentioned, they're using them as a political pawn, which you've heard us call out many times from here, and you've heard the president call out. We are hard at work in driving toward a regional solution to manage this new challenge," Jean-Pierre answered.
She added, "So we are doing the work every day to make sure that we deal with what we're seeing in the southern border."
Her response was mocked online for ignoring the Biden administration’s role in the rise of illegal immigration.
"Sorry border Democrats, but this is the White House's response to the crisis that is going to sink your campaigns in the home stretch," Republican communicator Matt Whitlock tweeted.
"Amazing how somehow we’ve gone 2 years without anyone in the Biden Admin being forced to concede that RELEASING illegals into the US by the millions (instead of deporting them) is the reason more illegals are crossing than has ever occurred before in the long history of nations," Trump advisor Stephen Miller wrote.
Florida Board of Education member Ryan Petty joked, "If this were true would there not be a net outflow? I know I’m not alone in saying I’d love to flee the failing Biden regime and it’s devastating economic policies."
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported over 2.3 million border encounters in fiscal year 2022. (Fox News)
"Yes, hard at work at letting everyone in. Lots of words. No solutions," former U.S. congressional candidate Amanda Makki wrote.
Radio talk show host Ross Kaminksy tweeted, "Literally nobody (by which I mean to include KJP herself) is buying what she's trying to sell. Well, she seems clueless enough that maybe she believes it. Can't believe she still has her job. Says a LOT about Biden admin standards, and that's reemphasized by plenty of others."
Fox News contributor Guy Benson tweeted, "feeble, pitiful, unresponsive, delusional."
Immigration is at the top of the ticket this November as a record number of illegal immigrants continue to cross the border. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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Jean-Pierre is no stranger to being slammed on social media for her comments about the border. She previously denied that migrants are simply walking across the border and repeated often-touted claims by the administration that the border was "secure."