By Daniel Walker May 12, 2024
Speech delivery
Senator Katie Britt received backlash and ridicule following her delivery of the Republican Party's response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.
via ABCCritics mocked Britt's speech delivery and accused her of spreading misinformation.
Trafficking victim
via Forbes Breaking NewsThe Alabama Republican recounted a story about meeting a 12-year-old sex trafficking victim, insinuating that the incident occurred during Biden's presidency.
An investigation
via ABCHowever, an investigation by journalist Jonathan Katz from Talking Points Memo presented compelling evidence that the encounter actually took place between 2004 and 2008, when Biden was not in office.
Questionable statement
via Forbes Breaking NewsIn the aftermath, Britt attempted to defend her remarks but ended up making another questionable statement.
Biden's watch
via ABCIn an interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News, Britt was questioned about whether she intended to "give the impression" that the incidents described in her narrative about the sex trafficking victim occurred "under Joe Biden's watch."
Halted construction
via Forbes Breaking NewsBritt replied: "No, Shannon. Look, I very specifically said this is what President Biden did in his first 100 days. Minutes after coming into office, he stopped all deportations, he halted construction of the border wall, and he said, 'I am going to give amnesty to millions.'"
Taking office
via ABCNewsweek has already investigated one of these assertions: the claim that Biden halted the construction of the border wall. Although the president did temporarily halt construction upon taking office, his administration later authorized further construction on the wall.
Halting deportations
via Forbes Breaking NewsSimilarly, Britt's statement regarding Biden halting deportations is also deceptive. During his initial 100 days in office, his administration sought to temporarily pause deportations for certain immigrants, but not for all.
Physically present
via ABCThe 100-day suspension did not include individuals who had "engaged in or are suspected of terrorism or espionage" or posed a threat to national security; had not been physically present in the U.S. before November 1, 2020; and had voluntarily relinquished their rights to stay in the U.S.
General counsel
via Forbes Breaking NewsThe temporary halt also excluded individuals whom the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in collaboration with the general counsel, deemed legally required to be deported.
Strong opposition
via ABCThe initiative encountered strong opposition in the legal system and was halted in late January when a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security.
The Supreme Court
via Forbes Breaking NewsThe Biden administration's strategy was blocked by the Supreme Court in July 2022 after seeking a ruling from the justices due to conflicting decisions from federal appeals courts, as reported by PBS.
Biden administration
via ABCData from ICE indicates that 16,742 individuals were "removed" from the U.S. between January and April 2021. A representative for Britt verified that she was discussing a memorandum from the Biden administration concerning the 100-day immigration suspension, highlighting the presence of "small exceptions to the pause."
The spokesperson
via Forbes Breaking News"Actions by the courts do not change the fact that the policy of the Biden administration, upon taking office, was [to put] a pause on removals," the spokesperson added. The individual referenced by Britt as a victim of sex trafficking accused the senator of "distorting my story."
Factual errors
via ABCKarla Jacinto Romero, a survivor of sex trafficking in Mexico from a young age, expressed to CNN on Sunday that she felt exploited. She confirmed the presence of several factual errors in Britt's recounting of her story, as per reports.
Terrorism and espionage
via Forbes Breaking NewsContrary to claims, Biden did not halt all deportations within his initial 100 days in office. His administration sought to enforce a temporary suspension that impacted specific immigrant groups, particularly those linked to terrorism and espionage. However, this suspension was legally challenged and halted.
Individuals were deported
via Forbes Breaking NewsAdditionally, data indicates that thousands of individuals were deported from the U.S. in the first 100 days of Biden's presidency.
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