Joe Biden Signs Executive Order Limiting Refugee Admissions at the US-Mexico Border

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, signed an executive order on Tuesday that significantly limits the number of asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. According to the White House, "The President believes we must secure our borders. That is why he announced executive actions today to prevent the influx of migrants illegally crossing our southern border." US government officials state that under this order, the process for reviewing asylum applications at the US-Mexico border will be halted when the average daily crossings reach 2,500, and the border will only reopen when this number decreases to 1,500. This order prevents asylum for migrants who enter the United States illegally from the southern border. The Biden administration claims these measures are not permanent and will only be implemented when the southern borders are overwhelmed with asylum seekers. He stated, "This action helps us regain control of our border and restore order to this process. This prohibition will remain in place until the number of individuals intending to enter illegally decreases to a level that our system can effectively manage." The White House statement also noted that humanitarian exceptions are included in this executive order. The executive director of Doctors Without Borders believes this presidential order puts vulnerable individuals in unsafe Mexican cities at serious risk. April Benavides stated that the new executive order not only contradicts US laws and international laws but also endangers the lives and health of people. Joe Biden issued this executive order citing a provision of the 72-year-old immigration law, which gives the President broad powers to prevent any group of migrants from entering the country if they may harm US interests. Former President Donald Trump cited the same provision of immigration law to implement some of his toughest immigration measures, including the order known as the "Muslim Ban," which prohibited travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and to enforce the so-called "zero tolerance" policy regarding illegal border crossings that led to the separation of thousands of children from their parents. He has promised to resume his strict immigration policies if re-elected in November. President Biden issued this executive order after a bipartisan border security bill was rejected by most Senate Republicans and some Democrats. Mike Johnson's office, the Republican Speaker of the House, issued a statement saying the "border security bill" passed by House Republicans over a year ago would have solved the problem, but this law lacked support from Biden and Senate Democrats. In a joint statement with Republican lawmakers such as Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, and Elise Stefanik, he said, "President Biden's executive order is nothing more than a political stunt in an attempt to stabilize his declining poll numbers." The White House stated that as Congress failed to act, the President took steps to secure the borders. The White House said, "Republicans in Congress chose to prioritize partisan politics over our national security and voted twice against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades." Illegal Indian migrants have found a new route to enter the US: the Canadian border. Discussions between US and Mexican leaders; both sides agreed on the need to enhance border security. Biden's efforts for an agreement with Congress; US border and asylum restrictions are being reviewed. The US Secretary of Homeland Security warned illegal migrants. US-Cuba negotiations regarding the acceptance of more deported Cubans. The highest number of illegal migrant arrests in the US was recorded in March 2022.