Hakeem Jeffries, minority leader of the United States House of Representatives, claimed Thursday that Republicans are creating a “fictional argument” around the invasion on the southern border.

Just hours before Title 42 is set to expire, Jeffries said during a press conference that Republicans are creating a “fictional argument” about the expected increase of migrants invading the border.

“As is often the case with my extreme MAGA Republican colleagues, they create a fictional argument around what’s happening at the border,” Jeffries said, “and then actually do nothing to solve the real problem. And that is exactly what the child deportation act is all about.”

On Thursday, House Republicans are expected to vote upon a bill, H.R.2, to codify some of former President Trump’s strictest border policies — legislation the White House promised President Joe Biden would veto.

“If the president were presented with H.R. 2 he would veto it,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated this week.

H.R. 2 is scheduled for a House vote on the same day that Title 42 — a Trump-era policy — will be terminated under Biden. Title 42 has ensured that federal immigration officials have been able to quickly return millions of illegal migrants to Mexico over the last three years.

“A picture is worth a thousand words, but apparently Jeffries can’t see with his head buried in the sand,” NRCC National Press Secretary Will Reinert said about images of migrants gathering at the southern border:

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.