LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Joe Biden is working to strengthen his support among dissatisfied voters crucial to his chances of being reelected as he engages with members of a Latino civil rights organization in the swing state of Nevada.
Today, Biden will speak at the UnidosUS annual conference in Las Vegas, where he will announce a new program that will allow certain U.S. citizens’ spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency and citizenship without leaving the country starting on Aug. 19. This program, initially revealed by Biden last month, could impact over half a million immigrants.
During his speech, Biden is also expected to highlight the near record low Latino unemployment rate, increased access to health insurance in the community, and the doubling of Small Business Administration loans to Latino business owners since 2020 by the federal government.
This meeting with Latino activists comes at a time when Republicans are holding their national convention in Milwaukee and as Biden faces challenges in his reelection campaign following his poor debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27. The campaign has been further complicated by a recent failed assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania by a 20-year-old assailant.
Biden is relying on strong support from Black and Latino voters, who were crucial to his 2020 victory but whose support has shown signs of weakening, to help secure another term in the White House.
In an interview with BET News on Tuesday, Biden expressed confidence that he still has time to rally voters before the election. He pointed out that historically, voters, including young Black, white, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, tend to focus more on the election following Labor Day.
However, Biden has been facing challenges even before his debate stumble led to calls from Democratic lawmakers and donors for him to step down.
A poll conducted by AP-NORC in June showed that Hispanic Americans view Biden less favorably now than they did when he took office. Around 45% of Hispanic adults had a somewhat or very favorable opinion of Biden in June, down from about 60% in January 2021. In the same poll, half of Hispanic adults held an unfavorable view of Biden.
During his speech at the annual NAACP convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Biden criticized Trump’s presidency, calling it “hell” for Black Americans. He condemned Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, high unemployment rates during the early stages of the pandemic, and divisive rhetoric that divided Americans.
Biden also ridiculed Trump’s claim that migrants entering the U.S. under the Democratic administration are taking “Black jobs,” highlighting Vice President Kamala Harris as an example of a Black occupant of a high-ranking position.
Biden also mentioned his nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court and his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president.
The UnidosUS conference provides Biden with another opportunity to contrast his immigration policies with those of Trump. Trump’s approach to immigration involved advocating for mass deportations and portraying migrants as dangerous criminals harming America.
This new plan by the Biden administration was introduced following a comprehensive crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border that effectively paused asylum claims for individuals arriving between designated ports of entry. Immigrant rights groups have filed lawsuits against the directive, which administration officials state has led to a decrease in border encounters between ports.
Biden is also set to sign an executive order establishing a White House initiative to enhance opportunities at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a group of approximately 500 colleges with significant Hispanic populations across the country.
Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson DeVeaux in Washington contributed to this report.
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