Biden's 1st 100 days live updates: Senate passes COVID relief bill along party lines

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas joined the White House press briefing Monday to discuss the Biden administration's immigration process.

Mayorkas began by shifting blame onto former President Donald Trump's policies, saying that since taking office, he has been working to undo the work of the past administration.

"Let me explain to you why it is hard and why it is going to take time. I think it is important to understand what we have inherited, because it defines the situation as it currently stands. Entire systems are not re-built in a day or in a few weeks," Mayorkas said. "To put it succinctly, the prior administration dismantled our nation's immigration system in its entirety."

Mayorkas emphasized that it would take time to "build out of the depths of the cruelty" of the Trump administration.

"When I started 27 days ago, I learned that we did not have the facilities available or equipped to administer the humanitarian laws that our Congress passed years ago. We did not have the personnel, policies, procedures or training to administer those laws," Mayorkas said. "Quite frankly, the entire system was gutted."

He also discussed the recent influx of migrants, saying that there has been a three-fold increase in crossings at the Southern border.

"I have to take this opportunity, at the same time, to reiterate a message that we have communicated repeatedly throughout which is a message to those individuals who are thinking of coming to our border: They need to wait," Mayorkas said. "It takes time to rebuild the system from scratch."

However, Mayorkas did not give a specific date about when the system will be able to handle more migrants when pressed by reporters.

Some of the lawmakers who signed onto a letter to Biden and Harris, asking them to overrule the Senate parliamentarian, urged the Senate to move forward with the $15 dollar minimum wage in a press call Monday morning.

"The idea that the impact on the budget of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is incidental is ridiculous, its not factually accurate, we should thank the parliamentarian for her advice, respect her completely, and make our own correct decisions to move forward with this," Rep. Mike Levine, D-Calif., said on the call. 

The lawmakers highlighted the Senate's ability to disregard the decision, citing instances where it has occurred before and highlighting the increased urgency to raise the wage during the COVID-19 crisis. 

"It's so important for the American people for us to not be gaslighted to believe that this is it, that we have no power," Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said. "We’re going to get tremendous support who don’t see how it's done but see that it gets done."

Multiple organizations who are advocating for the $15 minimum wage were also on the call this morning backing the progressive effort. Advocates and lawmakers both said it was imperative to raise the minimum wage to address racial disparities. 

"This isn’t just an economic need it is a racial justice imperative," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said. "Many people of color have been paid poverty pages for too long. One should not have to work to stay poor and that's what’s happening."

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Biden released a video on Twitter Sunday night throwing his full support behind efforts for unions to organize, mentioning an effort by employees in Alabama, but not specifically mentioning Amazon, which is currently trying to campaign against workers’ efforts there.

"You should all remember, the National Labor Relations Act didn't just say that unions are allowed to exist. It said that we should encourage unions. So let me be really clear: It's not up to me to decide whether anyone should join a union. But let me be even more clear: It's not up to an employer to decide that either. The choice to join a union is up to the workers," Biden said. "Full stop."

Biden goes on to say "no supervisor should confront employees about their union preferences" and that every worker should have a "free and fair choice to join a union."

"It's your right. Not that of an employer. It's your right," Biden said. "No employer can take that right away."

His video message is being met with praise from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who tweeted this morning thanking the president for his message.

"If Amazon workers in Alabama – a strong anti-union state – vote to form a union, it'll be a shot heard around the world. If they can negotiate higher wages & better working conditions in the South, it'll benefit every worker in America," Sanders said in the tweet.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and 22 other House progressives have sent a letter to Biden and Harris urging them to overrule the Senate parliamentarian and keep the $15 minimum wage in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

"We must act now to prevent tens of millions of hardworking Americans from being underpaid any longer," the letter said. "You have the authority to deliver a raise for millions of Americans."

Biden and his chief of staff Ron Klain have said they don’t want to overrule the top procedural official in the chamber. Additionally, they don’t have the votes to do so given that Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have said they oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster and Manchin also opposes the $15 minimum wage measure pushed by the House.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel