Biden says $450K payments to families separated at southern border are 'not going to happen'

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Politico

President Joe Biden on Wednesday dismissed the idea that immigrant families separated at the southern border under his predecessor’s zero-tolerance policy could receive payments of $450,000 per person in monetary settlements, calling the report “garbage.”

Following remarks at the White House about Covid vaccines for children, Biden was asked by a Fox News reporter whether the payments would incentivize more people to cross the border illegally.

“If you guys keep sending that garbage out, yeah,” Biden said. “But it’s not true.”

When pressed on the matter, Biden appeared surprised by the $450,000 figure.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.yahoo.com/amphtml/biden-says-450k-payments-families-232647254.html

[Maggiemayhem]

1. A factor in the Virginia loss

[malletgirl02]

8. I wish Biden

Would have said this before the election

[yaesu]

2. that was reported by news source days ago, why would it be a surprise?

and why wasn't it denied as garbage right after it was reported?

[Jose Garcia]

3. It would appear that it is true, but the President was unaware of it

[MichMan]

10. Who in the DOJ came up with this behind his back & why didn't the President know ?

Unless it was a trial balloon and now no one wants to admit to it after all the backlash.

[Etherealoc1]

4. President Biden has to follow-up on this.

If true, there is no way the American
people could stomach this, especially
when folks are still struggling.

It will be the nail in the coffin.

[Devil Child]

5. Very welcome news.

[Slammer]

6. benefit of the doubt

Maybe Biden doesn't want it to be a flat $450,000 per incident.

Families which were separated from multiple children are paid the same as families separated from only one, despite the fact that there might be therapy needed for multiple children?

Families which were separated then were soon reunited get the same as families which were separated then the government lost track of the identity of the child and its family for months (or longer)?

[MichMan]

11. When it was initially reported, it was said to be $450k per person

Two parents & two children would get a combined $1.8 million from what was said.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. Republicans, especially Fux Noise, like to spread their fairy tales

[Maggiemayhem]

9. Also, it was on the 700 Club a Virginia based "religious organization "

This all went on while Biden was out of the country. So between this and that bullshit about critical race theory, there you go. Virginia did this to Virginia.

[Jose Garcia]

12. The story was originally reported by the Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/29/why-biden-administration-would-pay-much-450000-separated-immigrant-families/

[Maggiemayhem]

14. No, it was originally posted on all the right wing media.

[ripcord]

18. Does it matter who reported it if it was true?

[Mosby]

20. The WSJ broke the story, per WP.

Regardless, Biden needs to find out who in the government threw this out there. Its a ridiculous idea, and while I think these folks should be compensated, 450k+ per person is insane.

[jcmaine72]

13. There, America. Does that make it all better now?

The scary brown people who were forcibly separated from their families at the border by the Orange Fuhrer will get nothing for the injustices and humiliation they were subjected to trying make a better life for themselves and their families. That'll teach 'em!

Besides. It's absolutely un-American for our government to award money to anyone who isn't a big, blood-sucking corporation or parasitic foreign government who conducts airstrikes against civilians.

[JohnnyRingo]

15. So much for another FB meme.

It sounded absurd that we could rant anyone half a million dollars when we can't spend money on bridges, but there ya go.

[lapfog_1]

16. Lawyers

I read about this payment from a number of different sources because as soon as it hit the news I knew the RWNJ would start smearing Biden administration with lies.

Now for some facts from the article:

1) It said "up to 450,000 per lawsuit and possibly up to $1M"

2) It only applies to the families that a) applied for asylum and b) had children removed from the parents (which ended in 2018). There are around 1000 lawsuits pending now from such families, and the estimate was from 3000 to 5800 such families might be able to sue.

3) Lawsuits such as this ALWAYS have the lawyers from the plaintiff throwing around numbers (in the press) to try to get the defendant (US Government) to negotiate.

4) The US Government might well want to pay a settlement because an actual trial might result in much larger damages being awarded (how much damage was done to someone that had a 3 year old taken from them because they followed a LEGAL proceeding by presenting themselves at a border crossing and asking for asylum?)

5) The illegal action was done by the Trump administration. But this is a civil litigation, not criminal...

6) NO SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT (of any amount) has been established.

There you have it. Some LAWYERS call up the Washington Post or other media and float some potential numbers to try to get the Government to agree to a large settlement... the vast majority of the money paid would go to.... drum roll... the LAWYERS (as is almost always the case in civil litigation). The person writing the story presents some reasons why the government might agree to such payments... and voila... a right wing talking point is born.

BTW, NOW there will be pressure to NOT settle at all with the people who were demonstrably injured by BP and DHS, and we will likely pay out larger amounts in jury trials... not to mention court costs. All because of TRUMP and his sick racist asshole Stephen Miller.

[GemState]

21. Thanks for taking the time to write this information

NT

[twodogsbarking]

17. We could give them Florida.

[Polybius]

19. Good

Wish it was debunked last week.

[madville]

22. The ACLU claims Biden must not be aware of their negotiations with DOJ

The ACLU claims President Biden must not be aware of their negotiations with DOJ after his response to that question. This issue alone could lose us the House and Senate next year.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/03/biden-families-separated-southern-border-519321

“ Biden’s comments on Wednesday drew ire from immigration advocates like ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, who said Biden might have not been up to speed on the Justice Department’s actions as it “carefully deliberated and considered the crimes committed against thousands of families separated from their children as an intentional governmental policy.”

“But if he follows through on what he said, the president is abandoning a core campaign promise to do justice for the thousands of separated families,” Romero said. “We respectfully remind President Biden that he called these actions ‘criminal’ in a debate with then-President Trump, and campaigned on remedying and rectifying the lawlessness of the Trump administration. We call on President Biden to right the wrongs of this national tragedy.”

[MichMan]

23. White House walks back Biden comments on migrant families payments

DOJ (or someone) leaks a news story about separated migrant parents & children given very large cash payments. President Biden calls it garbage and states on TV that it absolutely isn't true.

Next day, the administration releases a statement that they are considering implementing that very same thing, with the actual amount given being still unknown. Makes President Biden look like he isn't aware of what is going on which only feeds the RW agitators. Now the RW has video of the President calling something garbage that they now say they are planning on doing. They are going to have a field day with that clip


https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/580142-white-house-walks-back-biden-comments-on-migrant-families-payments

[Steelrolled]

24. Yeah, I wish he wouldn't have referred to the CNN reporter as "sending garbage out".

We had enough of that with the last guy.