U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about an executive order restricting asylum in the East Room of the White House on June 4, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietch | Getty Images
The Biden administration announced on Monday that it would further tighten asylum restrictions at the southern border, as it is eager to show anxious voters on immigration that it is taking a tough stance on border security.
Tightening new rules announced in June stipulate that migrants will not be granted asylum if U.S. authorities determine the southern border is under control.
Under previous rules, the United States could restrict asylum access if the number of migrants attempting to enter the country during official border crossings reached 2,500 per day. For restrictions to be lifted, the number had to average below 1,500 people per day for a week.
The version published on Monday says the number of daily infections must remain below 1,500 for almost a month before restrictions are lifted. And while previously only immigrant children from Mexico were counted, the government now counts all children in its count.
These changes, which take effect Tuesday, will make it more difficult to lift restrictions and allow people who enter the country during official border crossings to eventually apply for asylum in the United States.
But the restrictions put in place in June have never been lifted, as the number of people encountered at the border has never been sufficiently reduced over a long enough period of time, why the administration is only now tightening them further. The question arises as to whether they felt the need to do so. The seven-day average has dropped to about 1,800 encounters with migrants per day, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Government officials said Monday that a longer timeline is needed to ensure the decline in immigration is sustained and not due to a one-off event. The official briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity about the tightened restrictions before making them public.
Immigrant advocates had already harshly criticized the restrictions announced in June, saying the administration was cutting important protections for people fleeing persecution.
The administration has touted its asylum restrictions, arguing that they are leading to a severe decline in the number of migrants coming to the southern border. The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the number of people Border Patrol encounters per day between legal border crossings has decreased by more than 50% since the changes were announced in June.
In a statement announcing the new rule, DHS called on Congress to do more to resolve immigration issues.
Border security and immigration have become key pain points for the Biden administration and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and party officials have harshly criticized the large number of migrants arriving at the southern border under the Biden administration, and the White House and Harris have vowed to restrict immigration and secure the border. He said that sufficient measures had not been taken. .
Harris became the first Democratic candidate to visit Arizona’s border region on Friday. She walked along the high metal fence that separates the United States and Mexico, advocating for better ways to admit immigrants legally while calling for stricter asylum rules.
“I reject the false choice that we must choose between securing our borders and building an orderly, secure, and humane system,” Harris said. “We can and must do both.”
Some exceptions are allowed to this restriction. For example, victims of severe forms of human trafficking would still be allowed to apply for asylum.
The administration is also allowing people using the CBP One booking system to apply for asylum, but those people must make an appointment on the app to come to an official border crossing.
The administration is trying to encourage immigrants to use the app instead of crossing the border illegally.
However, demand far exceeds the 1,450 reservations per day, and the administration has not indicated any intention to increase the number of reservations.
