Significant Drop in Migrant Arrests Following Biden's Executive Order
The number of arrests on the southwestern border of the United States has decreased by 40% in the three weeks since President Joe Biden's executive order restricting the right to asylum took effect. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, announced at a press conference in Tucson, Arizona, that border patrol encounters with migrants crossing illegally have fallen to less than 2,400 daily. This is below the limit of 2,500 irregular entries that Biden established on June 4 to close the border. This marks the lowest level of arrests since January 17, 2021, although it remains above the threshold of 1,500 irregular crossings daily for seven consecutive days that would lift the restrictions.
Mayorkas highlighted that in Tucson, the drop in irregular entries has been more than 45% since the new measures were imposed, and repatriations of detained individuals have increased by almost 150%. He added, "As a result, in Tucson, we have seen a decrease of more than 80% of people who have initiated judicial regularization processes."
Political Implications and Future Actions
The data was released ahead of a debate between President Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump, set to take place on November 5. Immigration has become a critical issue in the presidential campaign, especially in key states like Arizona, which are significantly impacted by the influx of migrants. Republicans have criticized the Biden Administration for its handling of the border crisis, with Trump promising the largest deportation of migrants in U.S. history if he wins the election.
Despite the executive order, Mayorkas emphasized the need for congressional action to address the immigration crisis. He stated, "Executive actions are not a substitute for congressional action. Only Congress can offer a complete and lasting solution. Only Congress, through legislation, can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system, which was last updated nearly 30 years ago."
The DHS has reported more than 24,000 individuals have been expelled to 20 countries on over 100 international flights since the new measures took effect. This includes a significant number of repatriations to countries other than Mexico. The Biden Administration has also increased border controls to identify known or suspected gang members, including members of the Venezuelan gang 'Tren de Aragua'.
While Biden has toughened his immigration policy by restricting the right to asylum, he has also provided protection to long-term migrants living in the United States. Three weeks after issuing the new border rules, the president signed an executive order granting permanent residency to the spouses of U.S. citizens who have been residing in the country for more than 10 years. This measure is expected to benefit around half a million people and approximately 50,000 children of these migrants.
- The Biden Administration claims to have increased border controls to identify known or suspected gang members. The DHS has stressed that the number of chartered flights will increase to expedite the repatriation of migrants. Currently, an average of 29 weekly flights are made for this purpose.
- The strict measures imposed by the Democratic president at the border have caused unrest among the most progressive wing of his party. Three Democratic representatives have announced the creation of a group in Congress to address the global problem of immigration by studying the roots of the problem and proposing solutions.
- In an interview with NBC News, Representative Delia Ramírez mentioned that Democrats have done a 'terrible job' of addressing immigration issues and emphasized the need for Congress to act effectively in addressing the root causes of migration.
