As California and Texas grapple with a significant influx of undocumented immigrants at the southern border, illegal immigration has become a central issue for presumptive presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Faced with public pressure and increasing concern from Americans, the Biden administration is intensifying efforts to demonstrate a commitment to addressing the issue. With the November general election less than six months away, it appears highly unlikely that the federal government will be able to shift public opinion on border security.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, recently introduced a new initiative designed to swiftly identify immigrants with criminal histories. The suggested modifications to the asylum system would enable immigration authorities to dismiss asylum claims from individuals whose criminal records indicate a risk to national security or public safety, facilitating their rapid removal. These changes would permit asylum officers to deny applications within days during the preliminary screening phase if they uncover evidence of a migrant’s disqualification for asylum due to connections to terrorism, national security threats, or criminal activities.
Due to the overwhelming number of immigrants arriving at various points along the southern border, federal border officials often release immigrants before completing all security checks. This practice has sparked a national debate about the safety of millions of Americans, particularly those in states and regions with large migrant populations. The newly proposed measure seeks to decrease the number of migrants entering the United States.
Recent Arrivals (RA) Docket could bring another migrant wave in some cities
The Biden administration is speeding up the asylum process for migrants who enter the US without proper authorization, focusing on five key cities. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed last Thursday that a new initiative, called the Recent Arrivals (RA) Docket, will expedite the hearing of asylum cases for single adults in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The goal is for these cases to be resolved within 180 days, though there might be delays if migrants need more time to find legal representation.
Recent Arrivals (RA) Docket to speed up the process
As of December, there were over 3 million asylum cases still open in the US, leaving many migrants in limbo for years. For instance, in May of the previous year, migrants entering Texas from Mexico were given court dates in Chicago that were scheduled as far into the future as 2032. Immigration issues have become increasingly important to American voters as the 2024 election approaches, and many surveys suggest that it is a particularly challenging area for Biden, 81, especially in his anticipated race against former President Donald Trump, 77.
“Today, we are instituting with the Department of Justice a process to accelerate asylum proceedings so that individuals who do not qualify for relief can be removed more quickly and those who do qualify can achieve protection sooner,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
Another attempt for the border bill
House Republicans, who impeached Mayorkas in February, have consistently pressed President Biden to bring back Trump-era policies such as Remain in Mexico, which mandated that asylum seekers stay in Mexico until their court dates. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate would consider the legislation again, but he was quickly criticized by the top Republican negotiator, Sen. James Lankford. Lankford called Schumer’s action a “political stunt.” On Wednesday this week, Schumer confirmed that US Senate will try again to pass border bill.
“All the American people see it, everybody sees this is political, but everyone in the country also says ‘Why don’t you guys and ladies fix this instead? Why don’t you actually resolve it?’” Sen. James Lankford said, adding that Democrats and Republicans should return to the negotiating table.