By Ivan Sanchez
Since taking office, President Joe Biden has repeatedly urged Congress to address the United States’ immigration challenges and secure the Southern border.
Despite Congress’s inaction, President Biden has taken significant steps to strengthen border security. His administration has deployed a record number of agents and officers to the Southern border, intercepted unprecedented quantities of illicit fentanyl, and collaborated with international leaders to address evolving migration trends across the Western Hemisphere.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration achieved a historic bipartisan agreement with Senate Democrats and Republicans to implement major reforms in immigration law. This agreement proposed adding essential border and immigration personnel, investing in technology to detect illegal fentanyl, reforming the asylum system, and granting emergency powers to the President to close the border when overwhelmed. However, Congressional Republicans twice rejected these reforms, prioritizing partisan politics over national security.
In response, President Biden has announced new executive actions aimed at curbing unlawful migration. These actions will bar migrants who cross the Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum, streamlining their removal process, and alleviating pressure on Border Patrol agents.
President Biden has issued a proclamation under the Immigration and Nationality Act, suspending the entry of noncitizens who unlawfully cross the Southern border.
This is accompanied by a rule from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security restricting asylum eligibility for these individuals.
These measures will be activated during periods of high migration and will expedite the removal of those without a legal basis to remain in the U.S.
These actions are temporary and will be lifted once the number of border crossings drops to manageable levels. Exceptions will be made for unaccompanied children and victims of trafficking, similar to those proposed in the bipartisan border agreement.
The executive order was immediately met with criticism on both sides of the aisle. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) responded critically to the executive order. CHC Chair Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Deputy Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Whip Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued a statement expressing concern over the order’s implications for asylum seekers.
“We recognize that our immigration system is broken and that our country needs humane, inclusive, and orderly solutions to address the challenges at the Southern Border,” the CHC leaders stated. “Today’s executive order severely limits access to asylum and is deeply concerning to our caucus. Such measures impede progress and harm migrants fleeing violence and persecution, who otherwise would present a credible and meritorious case for asylum. Enforcement-only strategies have repeatedly proven ineffective and only create more chaos at the border.”
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