Biden signed an executive order to significantly tighten border immigration policies. If 2,500 people cross the southern border every day, the federal government will immediately block the border, stop accepting any refugee asylum applications, and repatriate the relevant persons as soon as possible. The measure has attracted different reactions from both sides of the immigration issue. Former President Trump and Republicans criticized Biden's move as a "political show", while groups concerned about immigration expressed disappointment and vowed to challenge it through legal channels.
Biden, accompanied by several congressmen and officials from southern border towns, officially issued an executive order at the White House on the 4th. According to the provisions, if 2,500 immigrants enter the US-Mexico border port every day, the authorities will close the border, and most of the cross-border people will be repatriated within a few days or even hours. Since the current number of immigrants has exceeded the threshold, the executive order will take effect immediately from midnight on the 5th.
This executive order also has a number of exemptions. Minor solo immigrants who are not accompanied by adults, victims of human trafficking, and those who have applied for asylum in advance using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program are not included in the rapid repatriation after arriving in the United States. Once the federal government closes the border, the average number of people crossing the border every day must be less than 1,500 within 7 days, and this situation must last for 2 weeks before the authorities will reopen the border and accept refugee asylum applications. During the closure period, foreign citizens can still apply for asylum on other grounds, but they must prove that they have been persecuted, abused, and tortured in their country of origin, and the threshold for individual case review will be higher. Some officials believe that after the implementation of the new system, most people's entry applications will fail, and those who illegally cross the border will be severely punished, including being banned from entering the United States for 5 years.
President Biden said at the signing ceremony that the Republican conservatives refused to adopt the Senate bipartisan agreement, leaving the White House "no choice" but to "control the border" on its own, and criticized former President Trump for obstructing and instructing the Republican Party to obstruct immigration legislation. However, Biden also reiterated that he believed that immigration is the "lifeblood" of the country.
Trump quickly posted on social networking sites, saying that he and Biden will hold the first presidential debate on June 27, and Biden's order this time is just a "show." Other Republicans also joined the criticism, accusing the Biden administration of acting "too late". Among them, House Speaker Johnson described the new policy as weak and powerless, just "window dressing". If the White House really cares about the border issue, it should have taken action earlier.
Biden signed the order this time, only five months away from the November election. Many polls show that immigration has become a key issue in the election, and Biden's popularity continues to be low. Analysts believe that he hopes to reverse the disadvantage this time. Political insiders revealed that when the White House was conceiving the plan, it had expected that this executive order would be challenged by law, so the team has formulated a response method, including citing Section 212 (F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. When the immigrants harm the national interest, the president can restrict the entry of certain immigrants. Trump also banned immigrants from entering the country many times by executive order during his tenure, also citing the same law.
As for the civil rights camp, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would file a lawsuit to challenge the Biden administration. Its lawyer Gelernt emphasized that banning refugees from seeking asylum is an "illegal" policy. Several organizations concerned about immigration are angry and disappointed with the new policy, criticizing the measures that will only cause chaos. Biden called on all parties to remain "patient" and said that he will announce more measures in the coming weeks to make the immigration system "fairer and more just."
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