Biden adviser admits immigration policy 'may have driven' migrant surge, encouraged 'smugglers'

Southern Border Coordinator Roberta Jacobson said Wednesday that it was not a “coincidence” border crossing attempts spiked after President Biden took office.

"There was a hope for a more humane policy after four years of pent-up demand, so I don't know if I would call that a coincidence," said Jacobson, who spoke during the daily White House briefing. "But the idea that a more humane policy would be in place may have driven people to make that decision, but perhaps, more importantly, it definitely drove smugglers to express disinformation, spread disinformation about what was now possible," said Jacobson, who also serves as special assistant to the president, told reporters. She was also ambassador to Mexico from 2016 to 2018. Smugglers, sometimes known as "coyotes," are known to lure migrants across the border, promising few repercussions.