US President Joe Biden used his visit to the border with Mexico in Brownsville (Texas) this Thursday to double the pressure on Republicans to pass a law to curb immigration pressure. Biden recalled that immediately after taking office, he proposed a bill to reform “a broken immigration system.” And that Democrats and Republicans have been negotiating a bipartisan border security agreement in Congress in recent months. That agreement was torpedoed by Donald Trump, who pressured Republicans to reject it and attended another parallel event at the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, this Thursday. The bill would have provided more than $20 billion to provide personnel and equipment for immigration and border services.
The project, which appears to have failed, included funding for border patrols, asylum officers, immigration judges and reception services. In addition, it included a legal change that would have allowed Biden to control returns and suspend asylum rules if certain thresholds were exceeded in the entry flow. The legislation allows immigrants to seek asylum regardless of how they arrive, and they are arriving in such numbers that the capacity of an underfunded immigration system is overwhelmed. This effectively allows immigrants to settle while their cases are delayed for years. The law would have activated the immediate repatriation of migrants if an average of more than 5,000 illegal crossings per day occurred over a five-day period.
If the bill ultimately fails, Biden is exploring the possibility of issuing a decree with some measures to make it more difficult for immigrants to pass through or to ease their expulsion. Among the measures Biden's team is considering is invoking powers under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives the president broad latitude to block the entry of certain immigrants if necessary. This is “harmful” to the national interest.
Trump resorted to this rule repeatedly during his time in office, including his controversial ban on travelers from Muslim-majority countries, which Biden lifted immediately after taking office. The Biden administration is considering whether this provision can be applied when illegal border crossings exceed a certain number, consistent with the provision contained in the proposed legislation. But unless the law is changed, any decree against border crossings will likely be challenged in court.
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Fox News host Sean Hannity, seen by Piedras Black (Mexico). Go Nakamura (Portal)
In his speech this Thursday at a Border Patrol command center in Brownsville, Biden called on Republican members of Congress to show “a little courage” and not be intimidated by pressure from Trump. But he also appealed directly to his predecessor: “Instead of telling members of Congress to block this law, join me. Or I’ll come to you,” he said. “We can do this together. You know, and I know, that it is the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security law this country has ever seen. Instead of playing politics with the issue, why don't we come together and do it?” “, he added.
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According to the White House, these are some of the key points of the initiative that has been blocked (for now and perhaps forever):
Border patrols. Border Patrol staffing levels have remained virtually stable over the past four years, although the number of border encounters (a euphemism for arrests) has increased by 250% over the same period. There are currently only 20,000 border guards. The bill would create more than 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection officers.
Asylum representatives and reform of the asylum system. The number of asylum officers has stagnated for four years and there are not enough asylum officers to carry out initial checks. Therefore, processing and resolving each asylum case typically takes between five and seven years. There are currently around 1,000 asylum officers; The bill would create 4,300 additional asylum officers and make the asylum process faster and fairer.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). The ICE detention centers are currently over capacity. Today, ICE has approximately 40,000 detention beds. The bipartisan agreement would increase it to 50,000. Additionally, without immediate action from Congress, the Department of Homeland Security must transfer funds from other critical missions to ICE or reduce ICE operations to address a deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Immigration judge. There is currently a backlog of more than two million cases before immigration judges. It usually takes between five and seven years to resolve an asylum case. Without more judges, these deadlines and delays will continue to increase. Currently, 734 immigration judges are funded. The bill provides funding for 100 additional immigration judges and related staff.
Fight against drug trafficking. In the fight against the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, the bipartisan agreement would fund the installation of 100 state-of-the-art inspection machines to help detect fentanyl at ports of entry along the southwest border. It would also give the president the authority to impose sanctions on foreign nationals who knowingly engage in the significant trafficking of fentanyl by a transnational criminal organization.
Local support. The bill also includes $1.4 billion for cities and states that provide essential services to newcomers and would expedite work authorization for people who are in the country and eligible.
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