Biden strengthens asylum limits and extends border crackdown indefinitely.
President Biden’s administration has taken a firm stance on immigration at the U.S. southern border with the implementation of new regulations to reinforce the partial asylum ban put into effect in June. This move is expected to extend the strict immigration policy indefinitely, potentially lasting beyond the upcoming presidential election.
Officials in the Biden administration have attributed the significant decrease in illegal crossings by migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border to the asylum restrictions. Over the last three months, these crossings have maintained a four-year low, a sharp contrast to the record highs witnessed last year.
The asylum crackdown was initially intended to be temporary, contingent upon the daily average of illegal border crossings remaining above 1,500. However, the newly announced rules dictate that officials can only lift the policy if the average drops below 1,500 for 28 consecutive days, as opposed to just a single week.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Justice Department, emphasized that the policy adjustments aim to ensure that the reduction in migrant encounters is a sustained phenomenon rather than a short-lived downturn. The official, speaking anonymously during a call with reporters, shed light on the rationale behind the revised rules.
Recent reports from CBS News indicated the administration’s intention to solidify its asylum restrictions, with additional measures such as incorporating more migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, into the data used for calculating the crossings average.
It is important to note that the asylum limitations primarily impact migrants entering the U.S. outside of legal border entry points, commonly known as ports of entry. Exceptions are made for individuals utilizing Biden administration programs that facilitate entry with government authorization, including approximately 1,500 migrants processed daily at ports of entry through an appointment system, as well as unaccompanied children and those with severe medical conditions.
Although migrant crossings at the southern border had already decreased earlier this year due to enforcement actions taken by Mexico, the numbers plummeted substantially following the implementation of the asylum limits in early June. Border Patrol data shows a significant drop in illegal crossings, with figures ranging between 54,000 and 58,000 per month in July, August, and September, marking the lowest levels since September 2020 during the previous administration.
Since the implementation of the policy, fewer migrants have been released into the U.S., and the percentage of deportations has seen a notable increase. A senior official from the DHS disclosed that over 121,000 migrants have been deported or returned to more than 140 countries during this period.
