US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a ban on illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border, which has drawn widespread criticism.
EqualOcean has learned that U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday implemented a comprehensive asylum ban for migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, a significant enforcement action ahead of the November elections. Under this measure, migrants who cross the border illegally may be swiftly deported or sent back to Mexico. The measure will take effect after midnight. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that unaccompanied minors, individuals facing severe medical or safety threats, and victims of human trafficking will be exceptions.
Explaining the announcement at a White House press briefing, Biden said that migrants who register for appointments through the CBP One or use other legal pathways, rather than crossing illegally, will still be eligible for asylum. "This action will help us gain control of our border and restore order into the process," Biden said. "This ban will remain in place until the number of people trying to enter illegally is reduced to a level that our system can effectively manage."
Despite introducing the new restrictions, Biden criticized some of former President Trump's most controversial policies, including the separation of migrant families at the border and statements about illegal immigrants "poisoning the blood of our country." Biden stated, "I will never demonize immigrants."
According to the latest government statistics, the average daily number of arrests at the U.S. border in April was 4,300. The ban will be paused when the number of arrests falls below an average of 1,500 per day over three weeks. The last time this level was reached was in July 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when global travel was at a historic low. Key operational questions about the implementation of the measure remain unclear, including how the government will quickly deport migrants from distant and uncooperative countries and how many non-Mexican migrants Mexico will accept under the new enforcement regime.
Biden's ban faced attacks from critics across the political spectrum on Tuesday. Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, stated that they plan to file a lawsuit against the new restrictions. The organization and other immigration advocacy groups criticized Biden for adopting policies similar to Trump's and for violating the U.S.'s legal obligations to asylum seekers. Before the announcement, Trump's campaign team released a statement criticizing Biden's high levels of illegal immigration and claimed that the exemption for minors would encourage child trafficking. Republicans also sharply criticized Biden's move, calling it politically motivated and insufficient.