The Biden administration will propose new changes to the asylum system on Thursday, four people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.
The forthcoming changes will address the stage at which migrants can be found ineligible to apply for and receive asylum.
Under the current system, eligibility is determined based on a number of factors during the interview stage — the administration is set to propose applying these standards during the initial screening stage.
The announcement is not slated to include several sweeping changes to migration policy that Biden administration officials have weighed, such as using a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar migrants from seeking asylum in between ports of entry.
But some immigration advocates are concerned about the implementation challenges the administration will face on the proposed rule.
The new policy would further extend the process, putting more pressure on asylum officers who are already facing record demands.
Progressives, however, have criticized the possible adoption of previously floated executive orders that would clamp down on immigration or restrict asylum.
They’ve called for Biden to use his presidential power to protect undocumented people who have long resided in the United States.
Four people with knowledge of the situation told POLITICO that the Biden administration is set to present fresh reform proposals for the asylum system on Thursday.
The stage at which migrants can be found ineligible to apply for and receive asylum will be addressed by the upcoming changes. The current system bases eligibility determination during the interview stage on a number of factors; the administration is expected to suggest using these standards at the outset of the screening process.
That modification would essentially enable the U.S. S. to hasten the expulsion of immigrants who authorities deem possibly unfit to remain in the nation because they pose a threat to national security or public safety, according to all four individuals, who were given the right to remain anonymous in order to discuss openly the administration’s intentions. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security is going to release a proposed rule that will outline the new policy.
Several significant changes to immigration policy that Biden administration officials have considered are not expected to be included in the announcement. One such change is the use of a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit migrants from requesting asylum between ports of entry. The four people anticipate that proposals for those more significant changes won’t come forward until at least June.
After a bipartisan Senate immigration plan failed earlier this year, President Joe Biden has been under pressure from within his own party to handle matters at the border alone. In an attempt to counter Donald Trump’s polling advantage on immigration and the border, Biden officials have been debating when to implement new executive actions and federal regulations for months.
The announcement on Thursday won’t probably cause the same backlash from the left as a ban on asylum would. Yet, some supporters of immigration are worried about the difficulties the administration may have implementing the proposed rule. Asylum officers already need several hours to finish legitimate fear screenings. In addition to prolonging the process, the new policy would increase the pressure on asylum officers, who are already dealing with record requests.
Another worry with the proposed rule is that it may not provide adequate or effective legal representation for migrants, who won’t have much time to seek legal advice prior to the preliminary screening.
Tuesday saw the president being written to by a group of House Democrats, most of whom are from battleground districts, urging him to take executive action to “immediately take further action to restore order at the Southern border and fix our broken immigration system.”. “.
Since Republicans seem to want to whine about this issue without taking any action, Rep. Delegate Angie Craig (D-Minn.). on Tuesday.
On the other hand, progressives oppose the potential implementation of previously proposed executive orders that would impose restrictions on asylum or tighten immigration laws. They have urged Biden to utilize his executive authority as president to defend long-term residents of the country who are undocumented.
“People feel better about these enforcement-only measures for a brief moment, but they don’t genuinely address the issue. When Donald Trump attempted to close the border, it failed, according to Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash). ) on Wednesday.
Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed agreement with Biden’s intention to act as an executive as long as the divided Congress is unable to pass immigration legislation.
Clearly, the Republican from Kentucky stated on Wednesday, “I’m not an advisor to the president.”. However, if I were, I would advise you to take action and give it your all. “.
Although he hinted that his party wouldn’t give up on efforts to craft a compromise bill, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer confirmed that “the administration is looking at what they can do administratively.”.
Sen. Christie, Chris (D-Conn. one of the main writers of that unsuccessful compromise bill, declared he would try to reconnect with Republicans who opposed the plan three months prior during the upcoming weeks.
The Republican counterpart to Murphy in the immigration negotiations, Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma. ), claimed he was unaware of the new endeavor and that he hasn’t recently discussed the issue with the Democrat.
Lankford remarked of the administration in a brief interview, “There’s a million things they could do that they have not done for the last three years.”.
The author of this report is Burgess Everett.
