Manchin urges Biden to declare an emergency, shut down the border

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said Friday on MSNBC that President Joe Biden "needs" to declare a state of emergency on the border and "shut it down" for six months while a new plan is made to get illegal immigration under control.

For some reason, Manchin seemed to think that closing down the border would convince people to support more aid to Ukraine.

“So, let me just say this: The Democrats have to come to grips that we have to close that border down. We have got to have border security. And I would implore the president and his administration to call a national emergency on the border," he said.

"We have a crisis," he added. "And this asylum basically should be put on hiatus for six months or so until we can get an immigration policy that works for our country and also gives people the chance to come here the right way to take care of themselves and their family."

Some Republicans are linking Ukraine funding with the border, saying that the border should be a higher priority and that we have to take care of our own national security before Ukraine. "Ukraine is pay me now or pay me later," Manchin argued against that viewpoint.

Manchin bemoaned the rights given to illegal immigrants the moment they step onto American soil. "People are sick and tired of seeing, they’re getting hotel rooms, they’re getting this, they’re getting that," he said. Over 8 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Biden took office fewer than three years ago.