Biden Takes Hard Line on Immigration, Announces Asylum Restrictions

United States President Joe Biden issued an executive order on the 4th denying asylum to illegal immigrants entering through the southern border.

Consequently, from 0:01 AM on the 5th, unprotected illegal immigrants will be quickly expelled or sent back to Mexico.

In a speech at the White House on the same day, Biden announced measures to ban asylum for those who crossed the southern border illegally without applying through legal procedures. He stated, “People who come to the United States illegally won’t be able to seek asylum or stay in the United States freely.”

He added, “The simple truth is that there is a global migrant crisis. If the United States does not secure the border, there will be no end of people trying to come in.”

This measure will be put into effect when the number of illegal immigrants arrested at the southern border exceeds an average of 2,500 per day in a week. However, Biden administration officials clarified, that if it decreases to below 1,500 per day for seven consecutive days and maintains that state for two weeks, the border reopens.

This increase in global migration is caused by global climate change, economic instability, and political violence. The number of illegal immigrants had a record high of 10,000 in December last year, for nearly a year. The New York Times (NYT) reported the number remained over 2,500 almost every day for nearly a year. It also said that the number of illegal immigrants on the 2nd was more than 3,500, indicating a trend in recent weeks.

A Biden administration official said the measure will not apply to minors crossing the border alone or to a minority who could be tortured or persecuted when deported from their home country. However, there will be a decrease in illegal immigrants as the screening criteria will be much stricter. Those who fail the screening while illegally entering the country can face a ban from entering the United States for five years.

This policy seems to be a political move aimed at mitigating criticism regarding the southern border security issue, especially as Biden prepares for the November general election.

The NYT noted that when then-President Donald Trump tried to close the southern border in 2018, he mentioned a provision consisting of 73 words in the asylum law, saying that this provision gave him the magic authority to expel immigrants. Biden also returned to the same provision by taking an administrative measure to temporarily close the border to asylum seekers.