ABC Cuts Obama's Critique of 'Open Borders' From TV Interview, Airs Criticism of GOP Instead

Over 200,000 encounters were registered at the US southwest border in August alone. This number is expected to rise even further in September as border authorities are battling a dramatic surge in Haitian migrants, who are seeking asylum in the United States.

Ex-President Barack Obama voiced strong criticism of the “unsustainable” idea of “open borders” in a Tuesday interview with ABC, but the channel chose instead to leave this harsh remark out when airing the comments of Biden’s former boss on ‘Good Morning America’.

"Immigration is tough. It always has been because, on the one hand, I think we are naturally a people that wants to help others. And we see tragedy and hardship and families that are desperately trying to get here so that their kids are safe, and they're in some cases fleeing violence or catastrophe," Obama told ‘Good Morning America’ co-host Robin Roberts in an omitted portion of the interview.

The former president then went on to argue:

"At the same time, we're a nation state. We have borders. The idea that we can just have open borders is something that ... as a practical matter, is unsustainable.”

Barack Obama

Former US President

Obama’s full comments were still published in ABC’s online article about the interview – although they come up only towards the end of the piece.

The ABC article also repeatedly points out that the Biden administration was left to deal with a “Trump-era public health order” when expelling thousands of immigrants without a chance to apply for asylum over COVID-19 concerns - something the incumbent president has been extensively criticised for at the moment with a surge in Haitian migrants.

The omission was first pointed out by Fox News Channel's Jacqui Heinrich, who noted that ABC had opted to air the part where Obama blamed the current border crisis on Republicans:

“Comprehensive immigration reform has consistently gotten stuck partly because we can't get enough Republicans to support it,” Obama said.

According to media watchdogs, ABC finally managed to include Obama’s criticism of the “open border” concept in their televised coverage, but only after midnight. The ex-president’s remarks were aired during ABC’s ‘Nightline’ chat show at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Biden administration cleared some 15,000-17,000 Haitian migrants from the Del Rio camp near the Mexican border last week, prompting criticism as federal authorities have flown new-comers back to their homeland, devastated by recent earthquakes and political turmoil.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorka has admitted that approximately 10,000-12,000 Haitian migrants who crossed into the US have been released by the US for their cases to be heard by immigration judges. Another 5,000 or so are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security, the official revealed on Fox News.

The Del Rio International Bridge between the US and Mexico, which was shut when thousands of migrants set a camp under it this months, has now reopened. Thousands of Haitian immigrants are still believed to be making their way from South America to the US on a daily basis.