What Happened: U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shed light on the ongoing asylum crisis in a post on Sunday. She asserted that the issue could not be adequately addressed without considering the role of U.S. foreign policy and global dynamics. According to her, the mass exodus from Venezuela was significantly influenced by the wide-ranging sanctions imposed under the policies of former president Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Why It Matters: As reported by Benzinga, the lifting of the U.S. Title 42 restrictions, a significant number of Venezuelan migrants were attempting to cross the U.S. border. These restrictions, imposed during the pandemic, were meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 by swiftly returning asylum seekers to their countries.

In another Benzinga report, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared his intention to station a substantial military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border if reelected. He criticized the Biden administration’s border policies and referred to the border crossings as an “invasion”.

However, President Joe Biden has accused the Republicans of weakening the immigration system and not providing adequate funding. He highlighted that his administration had allocated over $1 billion to the states and cities dealing with a migrant influx, as reported in this Benzinga article.