Finally, on the evening of May 9, President Joe Biden announced new immigration measures to address the seemingly inescapable border crisis that has exploded during his term. The measures, as reported by Voz Media earlier in the day, involve a slightly more strict approach to illegal migrants and asylum seekers.
Now, the Biden administration is proposing some changes to asylum standards, as announced in a statement Thursday by the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which would allow for expedited deportations and to speed up resolutions for illegal migrants currently crowded at the border.
According to Biden, these changes will be limited in scope and would "only affect a small" number of people who have a criminal record or pose a risk to national security. This is in an effort, in the midst of an attempt to toughen his stance on immigration, to please the progressive wing that is pushing a soft policy.
The new rule would allow border officials to immediately reject those they deem ineligible for asylum.
“The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here,” Mayorkas said in a statement.
The decision was prompted by the upcoming election. One of the main concerns for Americans is the border crisis and, undoubtedly, it is one of the burdens that weighs most heavily on Biden's weak campaign, with the president facing a substantial dip in popularity.
According to a Reuters and Ipsos poll from April of this year, 56% of Americans now disapprove of Biden, while the president has an approval rating of only 38%.
According to the same poll, immigration ranks third among the issues of greatest concern to all Americans. When posed across party lines, the border crisis is the top concern for Republicans, at 34%.
For the Republican Party, beyond Biden, one of those responsible for the delicate situation at the border is Mayorkas, who Republicans in Congress have already tried to remove from office, though unsuccessfully so due to the Democratic majority in the Senate.
Republicans insist that under the Biden administration, there has been an unprecedented, uncontrolled and dangerous influx of illegal immigrants.
