Biden imposes strict restrictions on asylum at southern US border
Al JazeeraNew measures all but deny the right to claim asylum for people who cross the US southern border without authorisation. Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden has imposed new restrictions that would bar most migrants who cross the US southern border without authorisation from seeking asylum in the country. “They will make it easier for immigration officers to remove those without a lawful basis to remain and reduce the burden on our Border Patrol agents.” The measure will prevent any migrant who crosses the southern border without authorisation from applying for asylum if the average number of unauthorised daily crossings passes 2,500. “While there are some differences from Trump’s actions, the reality is that this utilizes the same failed enforcement-only approach, penalizes asylum seekers, and furthers a false narrative that these actions will ‘fix’ the border.” By reviving a Trump-era asylum ban, President Biden has abandoned our obligations to provide people fleeing persecution, violence, and authoritarianism with an opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S. My full statement on @POTUS' executive action: pic.twitter.com/Kn52Qa2zHa — Senator Alex Padilla June 4, 2024 ‘Moral and political failure’ Immigration is a hot-button topic in US politics, especially in an election year. “And I think it is a moral and political failure for this administration not to stake out a position that protects the rights of immigrants and people seeking safety in the United States.” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Biden has taken executive action in the absence of legislation to try to “help alleviate” some of the pressure caused by border crossings.