FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Secure the Border

Here is the FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Secure the Border,  The FAQ explains that

“President Biden believes we must secure our border. That is why today, he announced executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum. These actions will be in effect when high levels of encounters at the Southern Border exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, as is the case today. They will make it easier for immigration officers to remove those without a lawful basis to remain and reduce the burden on our Border Patrol agents.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s executive actions will:  

Bar Migrants Who Cross the Southern Border Unlawfully From Receiving Asylum “

Click the link above for detail.  Expects lawsuits challenging the executive action.

The Department of Homeland Security FAQ is here.

Not everyone is keen on the actions.  Here is one example:

“We did not vote Trump out of office only to get Trump-era immigration policies under the Biden administration

The Florida Immigrant Coalition stands in stark opposition to the New Asylum Rule put forth today by the Biden Administration. This asylum ban is a repeat of an illegal Trump administration ban that was struck down by the courts, when a federal judge ruled against it by saying that the president is `not a monarch.’ Our laws guarantee any person who is physically present in the United States or who arrives here—whether or not at a port of entry—the right to apply for asylum. The administration’s categorical ban on asylum for people who cross between ports of entry conflicts with this guarantee in the same way that President Trump’s asylum ban did in 2018.

That this is happening as border crossings are down 54% and shortly after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office announced that the economy is expected to grow by $7 trillion in the next decade due to increased immigration is revealing of the short-term thinking and political nature of this decision. In addition, studies have shown that the recent slowing of inflation in the country can be attributed to migrant workers alleviating labor shortages that put pressure on supply chains. 

Instead of focusing on protections like redesignating Temporary Protected Status (TPS), offering Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), and expanding work permits to meet the demands of a growing economy, the Biden Administration has chosen to copy Trump’s illegal asylum ban. It’s a gross betrayal of voters who supported Biden in the hopes of enacting a more compassionate and humanitarian immigration system. 

Renata Bozzetto, Deputy Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition noted, `The problem is not asylum – which is a humanitarian provision that has successfully protected vulnerable people for decades – the problem is a system that has not adapted to the current needs, including restrictive entries and backlogs created by Trump-era policies which continue to be deprioritized and unaddressed by the Biden administration and members of Congress. There’s no need to posture  to ‘look tough’ on an issue if you address it holistically.’

Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, Federal Campaign Lead for the Florida Immigrant Coalition said, `Voters did not vote Trump out of office only to get Trump-era immigration policies under a Democratic administration. Instead of ineffectively trying to be more anti-immigrant than Trump, the Biden administration should invest more in policies proven to work, such as expanding lawful pathways to citizenship and other protection programs like DACA, TPS, and work permits. The Biden Administration cannot forget the promises made to immigrant communities and voters.’”

UPDATE (June 5):  ICE Implementation Guidance Memo and Unpublished Rule.  And the cruelest of ironies. 

Biden proclaims June 2024 as National Immigrant Heritage Month Hat tip to Dan Kowalski!

KJ