Biden pushes back on Fox News and ‘garbage’ story on payments for migrants separated by Trump administration

Taking questions from the press on Wednesday, President Biden denied reports that migrant families separated by the Trump administration would receive up to $450,000 per person. When asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy if those reports would incentivize migrants to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden responded, “If you guys keep sending that garbage out, yeah, but it’s not true.”

Video transcript

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

- Mr. President.

JOSEPH BIDEN: This ought to be good.

- I-- I think so, too. About the way forward, Mr. President. As you were leaving for your overseas trip, there were reports that were surfacing that your administration is planning to pay illegal immigrants who are separated from their families at the border up to $450,000 each, possibly $1 million per family. Do you think that that might incentivize more people to come over illegally?

JOSEPH BIDEN: If you guys keep sending that garbage out, yeah. But it's not true.

- So this is a garbage report?

JOSEPH BIDEN: Yeah.

- OK, so--

JOSEPH BIDEN: $450-- $450,000 per person, is that what you're saying?

- That was separated from a family member at the border under-- under the last administration.

JOSEPH BIDEN: That's not going to happen.