As the number of migrants increases to the highest level in two decades, the Biden administration has drafted a 21- point plan to weigh their asylum claims more quickly and deport those who don’t qualify. In the plan, the administration calls for asylum officers to have full authority to rule on asylum claims for migrants crossing the border, allowing asylum seekers to bypass immigration courts, which now have a backlog of more than 1.2 million cases.
The White House aims to send asylum cases that do go to court to a dedicated docket to be sure they’re given priority. Families seeking asylum would also have access to legal counsel, a goal dependent on Congress’ approval of a $15 million budget request for next year. Immigrants who don’t qualify or who don’t claim asylum will be deported faster.
The White House doesn’t have a timeline on when it might implement the changes to its border policy. Many of the ideas have already been proposed through the federal rulemaking process and budget proposals, including hiring more than 100 immigration judges.
Currently, the Biden administration is still enforcing Trump-era restrictions at the southern border to prevent the spread of COVID-19, despite opposition from immigration groups in a federal lawsuit. The plan includes steps to aid Central Americans considering coming to the U.S. by establishing centers in those countries where would-be emigrants can receive legal information, expanding the number of temporary work visas and reducing the backlog of immigrant visas so that more people have a legal pathway to the U.S. rather than undocumented.
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