DSA rep denies Biden opened the borders and says funding police 'benefits the wealthy'

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America has rejected claims that the Biden administration effectively opened America's borders while defending calls to redirect funding away from police.

Frances Gill, speaking on behalf of the DSA's National Political Committee, disputed the argument that Biden's immigration policies contributed to Donald Trump's return to the White House. “I would absolutely dispute the claim that we opened the borders under Joe Biden, and I would absolutely dispute the claim that that is why Donald Trump got elected a second time,” she said.

“We’re not spending money on things that actually make people safe and feel safe, which is things like actually well-lit streets,” Gill added. “Instead we’re funneling money into the police. What we're seeing is that there’s this huge downward mobility problem... the scales are so tipped in one direction to benefit the rich and the wealthy.”

The DSA's broader program goes considerably further than Gill's comments on policing. Its platform has called for abolishing ICE, the Senate, the Presidency, supporting open borders and unrestricted movement across national borders, ending cash bail and mandatory minimum sentences, and pursuing police and prison abolition.

It also backs Medicare for All, universal rent control, publicly owned housing, free public higher education and the cancellation of student debt. Despite those radical ambitions, the organization has enjoyed growing influence in Democratic politics.

Its candidates and allies have won prominent local and congressional races, while DSA-backed politicians now have a greater presence in city and state governments. Most recently, democratic socialist Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary despite being heavily outspent, while DSA-backed Wisconsin state representative Francesca Hong is leading a closely watched Democratic gubernatorial primary. President Donald Trump has said the candidates backed by the DSA are "hardcore, godless communists", warning that they are one of the single biggest threats to the country and that they want to skip socialism entirely to turn the United States into a “communist nation.”