Biden's Bold Move: New Executive Action to Curb Immigration Amidst Election Campaign
President Joe Biden has announced an executive action aimed at drastically reducing irregular immigration at the US-Mexico border. The new measure, which will go into effect at 12 am Miami time on Wednesday, prohibits immigrants who cross the border illegally from seeking asylum after a certain threshold of irregular crossings is reached. This approach represents one of the most stringent immigration policies in recent history and mirrors some of the measures previously adopted by the Trump administration.
The executive action has been designed to activate and deactivate based on the daily number of immigrants crossing irregularly. Homeland Security authorities reported encountering approximately 3,500 migrants illegally crossing the border on Monday, surpassing the threshold required for the measure to be implemented. Immigrants failing to qualify for certain exceptions will be returned to Mexico or their country of origin.
Several exemptions exist under the new policy, including for unaccompanied minors, victims of severe human trafficking, those presenting acute medical emergencies, or those facing imminent and extreme threats to life and safety. Additionally, immigrants will have the option to schedule appointments via the U.S. Customs and Border Protection mobile app, CBP One, to file their asylum claims at specific ports of entry.
The success of this measure heavily relies on cooperation from Mexico, which has committed to accepting up to 30,000 immigrants per month from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. However, U.S. officials have not disclosed any new agreements with Mexico about the current executive action.
Critics have voiced concerns over the similarities between Biden's new measure and those enacted by the Trump administration. As a candidate, Biden denounced Trump's actions as 'inhumane,' yet, his recent move has drawn comparisons. In response, Biden has emphasized that his action includes narrow humanitarian exceptions, such as for individuals facing severe medical emergencies or imminent threats to life, which were not part of Trump's policies.
The announcement of this measure comes amidst Biden's re-election campaign, where border control remains a pivotal issue for the electorate. Biden argues that securing the border is essential to maintaining the United States as a welcoming land for immigrants, highlighting the measure as a necessary step to protect national security while providing a lawful pathway to citizenship.
The executive order, which has been in the works since April, outlines that immigration agents will be empowered to quickly deport those who enter the country illegally. The measure is expected to face legal challenges from human rights organizations and Republican states, which have been critical of Biden's approach to border management.
- Biden's executive order utilizes section 212 (f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a provision previously employed by Trump to implement stringent immigration policies.
- Currently, the U.S. Government processes approximately 1,450 asylum applications daily at ports of entry. The Department of Homeland Security seeks to enable initial asylum interviews through a mobile application, aiming to expedite the rejection of unqualified requests.
- The announcement arrives during a period of relative steadiness at the border, with May witnessing the third consecutive monthly decline in illegal crossings. Border Patrol recorded 118,000 arrests (around 3,800 daily) in May, marking a decrease from earlier months.
