A group of Democratic mayors convened at the White House on Thursday, seeking a dialogue with federal authorities about the escalating crisis at the southern border and its repercussions on their cities.
They also sought financial aid to mitigate the challenges arising from the situation.
However, President Biden was conspicuously absent from the meeting, leaving unanswered questions about his decision to abstain from the discussion.
The New York Post reported that the meeting was initiated by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Mayor Adams, however, withdrew from the Washington, DC trip following an FBI raid at the residence of one of his campaign fundraisers over alleged illicit contributions from Turkey. Despite his absence, Mayors Johnson and Johnston had the opportunity to converse with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and senior adviser Tom Perez.
In a letter to President Biden dated October 28, the group of mayors urged the federal government to extend more assistance to their cities. "To address this crisis without further delay, we are requesting an urgent meeting with you to directly discuss ways we can work with your administration to avoid large numbers of additional asylum seekers being brought to our cities with little to no coordination, support, or resources," they wrote. They also sought a $5 billion allocation "to cover the expenditures our cities have already incurred and to continue serving the growing number of people arriving in our communities."
The New York Post noted that while President Biden attended a 10 am intelligence briefing at the White House, his schedule was otherwise clear for the morning, raising questions about his absence from the meeting with the mayors.
When questioned about the situation, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated she "cannot speak to the $5 billion" request. However, she did acknowledge that President Biden is advocating for Congress to approve additional funding to address the border crisis.
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