Elon Musk Visits Texas-Mexico Border, Says 'Welcome Hard-Working Immigrants'

Billionaire Elon Musk visited the Texas-Mexico border on Thursday to meet local politicians and assess the situation as the US faces a migrant crisis.

Musk live-streamed his visit to give people an idea of the "real situation". The development comes as thousands of people have crossed the US border into Texas, Arizona, and California from northern Mexico in the past few weeks.

He paid a visit to Eagle Pass in Texas wearing a cowboy hat, a black t-shirt, and aviator-style sunglasses. He asked the government to permit legal immigration and allow "honest, hard-working" people to come to the United States.

He called himself "extremely pro-immigrant" and asked the US authorities for "expedited legal approval".

"I'm extremely pro-immigrant, and I believe that we need a greatly expanded legal immigration system and that we should let anyone in the country who is hardworking and honest and will be a contributor to the United States," Musk can be heard saying in the video clip he posted on micro-blogging platform X.

"We should have expedited legal approval for anyone who sort of falls in that category. But then, by the same token, we should also not be allowing people in the country if they're breaking the law. That doesn't make sense. The law is there for a reason," he added.

It also needs to be noted that Musk himself is a legal immigrant from South Africa to the United States.

The latest increase in unauthorised border crossings has been attributed to President Joe Biden's new asylum policy. The rule was introduced in May to discourage such attempts; however, the outcomes have not been what was initially expected.

The Biden administration made it mandatory for people to use a government-run cellphone app known as CBP if they wish to enter the United States. If they do not follow the policy, they can face swift deportation.

The number of migrants initially fell after the rule was put in place, but in the last few weeks, there has been a significant surge. Many of them are fleeing from Venezuela, which has led to the recent crisis.

Over 7.7 million people have fled Venezuela over the years as the country battles a high cost of living, a rising unemployment rate, and a fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently being dubbed the world's largest migration exodus.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has come under fire for its immigration policies. It remains to be seen how the recent events will affect the outcome of the US presidential elections next year.