'Extra necessary issues happening': Biden defends not visiting border on Arizona journey

President Joe Biden defended himself from criticism that he ought to go to the southern border whereas he's in Arizona.

"There are extra necessary issues happening," Biden advised reporters Tuesday on the White Home South Garden. "They will make investments billions of dollars within the new enterprise within the state."

BIDEN RETURNS TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, BUT FAR FROM GEORGIA

Biden is touring to Phoenix to assist Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm announce its plans for a second microchip facility within the state, growing its dedication from $12 billion to $40 billion, one of many nation's largest overseas direct investments.

White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was needled throughout Monday's press briefing about why Biden was flying to Arizona, however not spending time on the border whereas within the state.

"Let's have a bipartisan settlement on immigration, as an alternative of doing political stunts, as an alternative of doing what they're doing: going to the border, not truly arising with any actual concepts about that," she mentioned. "He will truly deal with a problem, a bipartisan concern that was voted in Congress, the CHIPS and Science Act, one thing that's going to ship for the folks in Arizona, creating jobs and making folks's lives higher, and ensuring that we're bringing manufacturing again into the U.S."

No less than 207,000 unlawful immigrants had been stopped by Border Patrol final month, in line with Customs and Border Safety information, down from 231,000 in October.