As it prepares for a potential increase in illegal border crossings when COVID-Next month, 19 limitations will come to an end, according to U.S. authorities.
According to a fact sheet detailing their intentions, the U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed they would increase by two to three the number of deportation flights to certain nations and seek to process migrants caught crossing the border illegally “in a matter of days.”
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In addition, the U.S. will encourage migrants to use two new processing facilities in Guatemala and Colombia rather than traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border in order to apply for refugee resettlement or other types of admission.
With the United Nations assistance, the centers want to screen 5,000 to 6,000 migrants each month as part of the country’s commitment to taking in more refugees from the Western Hemisphere. According to U.S. authorities, Canada and Spain have also stated that they will welcome migrants through the facilities.
According to U.S. authorities, the centers will also handle applications for family reunions, a program that was previously only open to Cubans and Haitians and is now also open to citizens of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The program enables a specific group of immigrants to enter the country lawfully and find employment while they wait for their U.S. visas.
In order to combat a potential rise in illegal immigration when COVID-19 border limitations, in effect since 2020, are anticipated to cease on May 11, U.S. President Joe Biden’s proposal includes a combination of immigration enforcement measures and new legal routes to enter the country.
A Democrat, Biden has battled politically with the unprecedented number of migrants apprehended illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and has progressively stepped up border enforcement.
Republicans claim Biden has failed to reduce crossings and call for a return to the harder policy used by former President Donald Trump, who is currently the front-runner for their party’s presidential candidate.
Biden, who plans to run for re-election in 2024, has attempted to walk a fine line between upsetting some Democrats and immigration activists by embracing more stringent policies while simultaneously offering a more compassionate approach than Trump.
At a recent news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated, “Our border is not open and will not be open after May 11.”
Title 42, Biden’s proposed proposal to abolish COVID limits, is based on a new rule that is anticipated to be approved soon and is similar to Trump-era regulations that were thwarted by American courts.
The rule would bar asylum for travelers who traveled via other countries without first looking for refuge there or who neglected to follow U.S. legitimate entry channels.
According to the Biden administration, this combination of legal sanctions and deterrents has reduced the number of border crossers in the past.
The number of migrants apprehended crossing from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela earlier this year significantly decreased as the United States started swiftly deporting them back to Mexico in accordance with Title 42 limitations.
A U.S. official stated during a teleconference with reporters that the US intended to continue sending those individuals to Mexico under the post-Title 42 plans. A request for a response from the Mexican government was ignored.
President Biden started a program in January that permits 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the nation by plane with sponsors from the United States each month. Those openings will continue to be available, and migrants will also be able to use an online application to request an appointment to cross the border.
The CBP One app will have more appointments accessible as part of the strategy, according to the Biden administration. According to migrants, appointments presently fill up every day in a matter of minutes.
DHS said that any Cubans apprehended attempting to travel by water will now be disqualified for the humanitarian parole program introduced in January, in an effort to deter Cubans from trying to reach the United States via risky boat excursions.
In line with remarks made by a senior official earlier this month, Mayorkas reiterated that the Biden administration does not intend to imprison migrant families but may monitor them using GPS monitoring devices or a scheme akin to home arrest.
