Republicans question why Biden didn’t take action sooner. Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border.
President Joe Biden will sign an executive order this Tuesday to temporarily close the US border with Mexico to migrants when illegal crossings increase.
This measure would suspend asylum protections in the United States, marking a significant change in his administration’s immigration policy.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
New Immigration Restrictions
The executive order will go into effect immediately when illegal crossings exceed 2,500 in a day, a figure that is already reached currently.
The border will reopen to asylum seekers if crossings fall below 1,500 over a set period of time. The measure will be announced together with the mayors of South Texas.
This policy will be the most restrictive implemented by Biden or any other modern Democrat, recalling former President Donald Trump’s efforts in 2018 to curb migration, which were criticized by Democrats and blocked by federal courts.
The new executive order is likely to face legal challenges, but Biden is under intense political pressure to address illegal immigration before the November presidential election.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
Impact on Asylum Seekers
Traditionally, immigrants seeking asylum are released into the United States while they wait to appear in court, a process that can take years due to the enormous backlog.
Proponents of the new executive order argue that it will help relieve pressure on the immigration system by allowing limited exceptions for unaccompanied minors, people with medical emergencies and victims of human trafficking.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
In addition, immigrants will be able to apply for protections other than asylum, although these programs are significantly more difficult to obtain.
The administration is also designing new selection processes that will raise the bar even higher for applicants.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
Reactions and Expectations
The number of illegal crossings has decreased in recent months, after reaching an all-time high in December, when about 10,000 people a day crossed the border into the United States.
Mexican authorities have helped stem migration by using charter flights and buses to move migrants south and away from the U.S. border.
On Sunday, border agents detained more than 3,500 people crossing without authorization, in line with recent trends.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
The executive action reflects a measure included in a bipartisan bill that failed this year and contained some of the most significant border security restrictions considered by Congress in years.
The bill would have provided billions of dollars for the border, including hiring thousands of asylum officers to process applications.
However, Republicans blocked the bill in February, arguing that it was not strong enough.
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Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
The Biden administration hopes the executive order will allow it to criticize Republicans for thwarting the bipartisan bill that would have provided significant funding to the Department of Homeland Security.
Administration officials have signaled that executive action was not their preference and anticipate legal challenges.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already indicated it is ready to challenge any order limiting asylum at the border, having led the charge against the Trump administration’s attempt to block asylum in 2018.
Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
Internal Political Pressures
Biden also faces pressure from within his own party for stricter enforcement at the border.
Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, a Democrat who won a special House election this year in part by calling for stricter immigration measures, sent a letter to Biden last month encouraging him to issue an executive order restricting asylum.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, has also called on the president to strengthen border enforcement and has been briefed on the order.
Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border
However, issuing the order carries political risks. In recent days, Republicans have questioned why Biden did not take unilateral action at the border sooner.
In January, Biden told reporters that he had “done everything he could do” at the border and that he needed help from Congress.
R. Joe Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Restrict Migration at the Border