White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Rebuffs Ted Cruz's Invitation To Visit Southern Border Saying, "I Don't Need Lectures" from GOP

Sen. Ted Cruz had publicly invited Karine Jean-Pierre to view migrants crossing the US-Mexico border for herself, but Jean-Pierre politely declined, saying "she would not be lectured on border security by Republicans."

The president's chief spokesperson told reporters on August 29 that "It's not only that individuals are walking across the border," prompting the Texas Republican to blast Jean-Pierre on his "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast over the weekend.

Jean-Pierre Declines Ted Cruz's Invite to The Border

When Peter Doocy of Fox News questioned Jean-Pierre last week about why unvaccinated migrants from Mexico were pouring into the country by the hundreds, Novak Djokovic, a tennis star, was unable to enter the country to compete in the US Open.

REPORTER: "Senator @tedcruz has...suggested that you come down and see for yourself whether migrants are actually crossing the border by foot."

KJP: "I've been to the border...I certainly don't need lectures or invitations from Republicans about the border or border policy." pic.twitter.com/08vLrz3MpQ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 6, 2022

Republicans other than Cruz criticized Jean-Pierre for her remarks. Last week, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) wrote to the White House urging her and President Biden to visit the border region to observe firsthand the effects of the administration's actions, as per New York Post.

Her previous border journey, a topic that Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden himself tripped over early in their administrations, helped Jean-position. She responded to Cruz after she had earlier claimed that migrants weren't crossing the border on foot in a conversation with Fox News journalist Peter Doocy on Monday.

Peter Doocy had questioned Jean-Pierre as to why unvaccinated immigrants were allowed to enter and remain in the United States yet Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic was prohibited from competing there because of his lack of vaccinations. Ted Cruz and Jean-Pierre had previously clashed. She claimed in a previous tweet from 2018 that a Cruz staff member had lobbied for a murderous tyrant named Laurent Gbagbo of the Ivory Coast.

Cruz attacked President Joe Biden and Jean-Pierre on Sunday for calling supporters of the MAGA movement extremists and for Biden's remark that it was almost semi-fascist, according to Daily Mail.

NYC Mayor Adams Sends Delegates to Southern Border

Additionally, as part of the current dispute with Texas Governor Greg Abbott over the busing of unauthorized immigrants to the Big Apple, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has dispatched a fact-finding mission to the southern border.

In Eagle Pass, Texas, on the banks of the Rio Grande, where hundreds of migrants have entered the country daily, the group from Adams' office spoke with Border Patrol agents on Tuesday. Adams' office issued a statement in which it said Abbott's office was unresponsive and had turned the subject into a political spectacle.

The delegation's trip included a tour of Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) new temporary processing center in Eagle Pass, which is now crammed with migrants and has room for up to 1,000 individuals, according to a source involved with the visit who spoke to Fox News. The average processing time for migrants at the facility is less than 72 hours, after which they are either freed or deported.

According to Abbott's office, it has sent buses to Chicago since last week in addition to more than 7,000 migrants to Washington, DC, and 1,900 migrants to New York City since the beginning of August. Abbott's administration stated on Tuesday that Adams was still welcome to visit the border in person.

Inundated border communities, which have had more than 200,000 interactions in recent months and more than 2 million encounters this fiscal year, will benefit from the decision, according to Abbott. Additionally, he has claimed that it is intended to attract attention to the border situation, which he attributes to the Biden administration's actions.

He has also brought up the sanctuary"status of cities like Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York City, which ostensibly welcome illegal immigrants and restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Adams has retaliated against Abbott, branding him anti-American and decrying migrant busing as harsh, while pleading for federal assistance owing to the strain the migrant surge is placing on the resources of the Big Apple, Fox News reported.