President Joe Biden unveiled new restrictions on the southern border days after a new report accused him of secretly granting mass amnesty.
Biden and his administration have been repeatedly criticized for failing to secure the United States-Mexico border. The White House released a proclamation from the Democrats blaming rising rates of illegal immigration on “failing regimes and dire economic conditions,” “violence linked to transnational criminal organizations,” and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The factors that are driving the unprecedented movement of people in our hemisphere remain, and there is still a substantial and elevated level of migration that continues to pose significant operational challenges,” stated Biden.
Biden blamed Congress for failing to “update an immigration and asylum system that is simply broken” and argued that his administration “has vigorously enforced the law.”
“The status quo system — the result of outdated laws and inadequate resources — has become a driver for unlawful migration throughout the region and an increasingly lucrative source of income for dangerous transnational criminal organizations and other criminal smuggling organizations that, without countermeasures, will continue to grow in strength and pose significant threats to the safety and security of United States communities and migrants, as well as countries throughout the region,” said Biden in his statement.
Under the new proclamation, illegal immigrants apprehended by border patrol cannot be granted asylum when the border is considered to be overwhelmed.
The new restrictions take effect whenever the number of encounters between ports of entry at the Southern border surpasses 2,500 a day. As the current daily encounter average is greater than 2,500, the restrictions would take immediate effect. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 128,900 encounters between ports of entry in April.
The asylum restriction remains in effect for two weeks or until the encounter average reaches 1,500.
The White House warned that there are currently over 1 million backlogged asylum cases and roughly 300,000 that were filed before 2021 are still pending.
“Migrants who arrive at the border but do not express fear of returning to their home countries will be subject to immediate removal from the United States, within a matter of days or even hours,” reports AP News. “Those migrants would face punishments that could include a five-year bar from reentering the U.S., as well as potential criminal prosecution.”
To accomplish the terms of his proclamation, Biden has invoked Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The clause allows the president to limit or suspend the entry of “all aliens or any class of aliens” into America if their entry would be “detrimental” to the interests of the country.
Republicans in Congress slammed Biden for attempting to shift blame for the illegal immigration crisis away from his administration.
“Last June, during a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, I suggested that the Biden Administration use Section 212(f) of the INA to stop the border crisis, and I was essentially told by the Democrat witness that was impossible,” said Congressman Troy Nehls of Texas in an emailed press release. “Nothing has changed in the last 363 days, except over 2 million more alien encounters and Joe Biden’s disastrous poll numbers. Now that his poll numbers are in the toilet, suddenly, 212(f) is looking pretty good to him and his cronies to trick the American people into believing he cares.”
“Make no mistake, Joe Biden inherited a secure border, all thanks to the successful policies of President Donald Trump,” added the congressman. “All Joe Biden had to do was keep President Trump’s border policies in place and the American people would be safe today.”
“On his first day in office, Biden halted construction of the wall along the southern border and ended President Trump’s successful remain in Mexico policy,” said Congressman Paul Gosar of Arizona in a statement released via e-mail. “Now with five months before the election and polls showing Americans overwhelming[ly] disapprove of Biden’s open border policies, Biden’s latest politically motivated actions are too little, too late and do nothing to stop the asylum abuse, do not end catch-and-release and certainly won’t do a damn thing to deport the 13 million lawbreakers who have been welcomed into our country since Biden took office.”
Biden’s proclamation comes two days after The New York Post revealed the federal government has quietly terminated more than 350,000 asylum cases since 2022 without deporting the illegal immigrants involved.
“This means that while the migrants are not granted or denied asylum — their cases are ‘terminated without a decision on the merits of their asylum claim’ — they are removed from the legal system and no longer required to check in with authorities,” reported the outlet. “The move allows them to legally, indefinitely roam the US without fear of deportation, effectively letting them slip through the cracks.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas praised the Biden-Harris administration for doing "what it can to strengthen border security in the wake of Congressional inaction."
"This executive action is yet another step the Administration has taken within its existing authorities to deter irregular migration," Mayorkas said in a press release. "The tough measures we announced today are no substitute for much-needed reforms that are only possible through legislation. ... We continue to call on Congress to act. Only Congress can provide our Department with additional statutory authorities that would actually create a functioning immigration system."
