by Marielbis Rojas
The Biden Administration is studying the possibility of invoking broad presidential authority to make it more difficult for migrants to pass the initial asylum test at the southern US border, three officials with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
The actions, which are still weeks away from completion, would be an effort to reduce the number of migrants illegally crossing the border, in what has become an issue of utmost importance in the country ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.
In the new policies, asylum officials will be directed to raise the standards they use in their “credible fear interviews,” the first assessment given to asylum seekers trying to avoid deportation for crossing the border illegally. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would also be asked to prioritize the deportation of newly arrived migrants, under a “last in, first out” policy , officials said.
It is not yet clear whether the policies would be achieved through an executive order or a federal regulation that could take months.
Any significant restrictions on asylum could face legal and operational obstacles, but issuing any order designed to curb illegal border crossings could be seen as an important move by Biden before the election, considering his weak support in polls regarding his handling of immigration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported in late January that it recorded a record 302,034 encounters at the southern border in December of last year. The monthly number of meetings is not only the highest recorded in history, but it also marks the first time that the 300,000 meeting mark has been surpassed.
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Marielbis Rojas is a Venezuelan journalist and communication professional, with a degree in Social Communication from UCAB. She is a news reporter for ADN América.
Photo “Illegal Immigrants” by Chief Jason Owens.
