In a presidential decree, Joe Biden limited the ability to submit asylum claims after crossing the border illegally, MTI reported.
According to the measure taken by the US President, if the number of illegal immigrants detained along the Green Border exceeds 2,500 people on average per day for a week, the possibility of submitting asylum applications for them may be temporarily suspended. An exception is made for those who belong to the category of unaccompanied minors or those fleeing from imminent danger, and this also includes health reasons.
Asylum claims can only be appealed for people who crossed the border illegally when the daily average is below 1,500. During the suspension period, anyone caught crossing the border illegally can be deported.
According to current data, the daily average number of illegal immigrants is 5,000, which means that the measure could take effect immediately. According to statistics, the last time the daily average number of illegal border crossings was less than 1,500 people was four years ago.
However, the ban in the presidential decree does not apply to those who arrive at official border crossings and indicate their intention to apply for asylum in advance through the US Border Patrol's online application (CBP One).
The President used the right granted to the President in US immigration law when he issued the order to tighten the border crossings. In the announcement, he criticized Republican members of the federal legislature, who twice in recent months rejected a package of border enforcement and immigration legislation backed by the president.
Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, assessed the announcement as a false measure, which he said was due to the upcoming presidential election. Other Republicans called it too late and insufficient.
The American Civil Liberties Union has previously indicated that it will challenge the president’s decree in court, because it considers refusal to submit an asylum application to be a violation of basic rights. The organization challenged in court the stricter measure taken by former President Donald Trump to control the borders compared to the measure he had just announced.
The southern border of the United States has witnessed increasing numbers of illegal immigrants over the past three years. In the 12 months of the fiscal year ending in September 2023, the number of detained migrants exceeded 2.4 million, and last December it exceeded 300,000 per month, while it moderated somewhat in the first months of the current year, and in April statistics showed and the Border Guard Agency spoke of 179,000. person.
