President Joe Biden is trying to tackle two key political liabilities for Democrats as he prepares to launch a reelection bid.

Crime and immigration are two areas where Republicans have relentlessly attacked the Biden administration. But within the last week, the president has made moves that appear designed to take the sting out of those attacks.

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"I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule — but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections — such as lowering penalties for carjackings," Biden tweeted last week. "If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did — I’ll sign it."

With that, Biden bolstered his decadeslong reputation on crime — he was the key lawmaker behind the 1994 crime bill signed into law by former President Bill Clinton — by vowing to help congressional Republicans overturn the Washington, D.C., crime legislation, which would have reduced penalties for murders, carjackings, armed robberies, armed home invasions, and sexual assault offenses.

That stance upset Democrats but pleased centrists and Republicans amid a crime spike in major cities across the country.

The president may be following it up with a similar incremental shift to the right on immigration.

The New York Times reported Monday that the Biden administration could bring back a policy that saw families of illegal immigrants detained after crossing the border — a policy Biden criticized former President Donald Trump over and scrapped upon taking office.

While the White House referred to the reports as "rumors" during Tuesday's press briefing, it did not refute them.

Democratic strategist Tom Cochran argues the immigration pivot, if true, could be a smart political play as Biden negotiates with the GOP.

"You don't make progress in Washington by pulling away from or antagonizing the opposition, especially when they're the party in control of the House," said Cochran, a partner at 720 Strategies. "Everything comes with a cost, and not picking these battles allows Biden to wage other ones he, and the administration, may deem more broadly impactful."

The cost could be that Biden will alienate progressives, who are calling the potential reinstatement of immigrant family detention an inhumane and cruel policy. It may also engender accusations of hypocrisy. Biden heavily criticized detention on the campaign trail in 2020, tweeting that "families belong together."

But that may be worth the trade-off, Cochran argues.

"The president has been in Washington for a really long time and knows that you have to give a little to get a little," he said. "There will be future closed-door conversations where he'll ask for returning favors and compromises."

Illegal immigration has surged under Biden, making him vulnerable to attacks from the Right.

In fiscal 2022, 2.38 million immigrants were stopped at the border, up 37% from the 1.73 million encounters the year before. That total was more than twice the highest seen during the Trump administration, and each of the last two years have set record highs.

The White House is now dealing with reports of unlawful child labor being done by unaccompanied minors who have few other options after entering the U.S.

As such, detention could help stem the tide, says Heritage Foundation border security expert Lora Ries.

"Immigration detention is a necessary means to protect public safety, prevent flight, and to ensure removal," said Ries, who heads the conservative think tank's Border Security and Immigration Center. "Immigration detention centers provide full medical care, including psychological services, dental care, legal orientation, recreation, in addition to basic requirements, and safety from cartels, smugglers, and the elements. Aliens admit as much."

Polling taken just before the midterm elections found that immigration and violent crime were important priorities for three-fourths of Republican voters but less than half of Democrats. The policy of family detention was used by former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in addition to Trump.

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With the 2024 election coming into view and immigration levels falling but still elevated, going tougher on immigrants could represent a win for the White House, even if it causes some short-term discomfort.

Doing so could also help offset the impact of Title 42 expiring. The pandemic-era policy that required immigrants to be turned away expires on May 11.