Amid a rapidly deteriorating public opinion on the issue of illegal immigration among Americans, President Joe Biden has resorted to locking down the southern border. This policy reflects a sense of urgency to resolve immigration issues before the November elections.
According to AP and other sources on the 3rd, Biden is set to sign an executive order on the 4th that could temporarily close the border between Mexico and the U.S. in case of a surge in immigrant numbers. High-ranking officials in the Biden administration have reportedly already notified Congress of this plan.
The executive order is expected to include provisions to block asylum applications and automatically deny entry if the number of illegal immigrants exceeds an average of 2,500 per day every week. Borders will reopen when the number of illegal immigrants reaching the border drops to an average of 1,500 per day.
AP reported, “2,500 is a higher number than the current average of illegal entrants,” adding, “This means that the border could be closed immediately to immigrants seeking asylum.” U.S. media have determined this to be the most restrictive border policy in the Biden administration and any Democratic administration to date. They further highlight its similarities to the strategy the Donald Trump administration introduced in 2018.
Biden previously pushed for a border security bill alongside the Democrats that would grant the president emergency authority to close the border during a surge in immigrants. However, with plans being thwarted by Donald Trump and the Republicans, Biden has been seeking his immigration policy.
He is said to have used Section 212(f) of the immigration law, previously employed by the Trump administration to quickly expel and block immigrants, as the basis for this executive order. Section 212(f) of the immigration law gives the president broad authority to suspend the entry of any or all types of foreign or non-immigrants “detrimental” to the national interest.
Biden is pushing for a controversial and strict immigration policy, which could be legally disputed due to the harsh criticisms on immigration issues in the run-up to the November elections. According to a poll conducted by Gallup at the end of April, immigration (27%) was the top issue Americans considered most important, significantly outpacing the economy (17%) and inflation (13%).
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