As COVID-19 asylum restrictions expire on May 11, the US government is preparing for an increase in immigrants who will try to cross the border with Mexico.
Usually, three in four migrants pass credible fear interviews, but only a few eventually win asylum. However, during the five months of the Trump-era program, only 23 percent passed the initial screening, 69 percent failed, and nine percent withdrew, as the Government Accountability Office reported.
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Biden's Fast-Track Program
President Joe Biden has scrapped expedited asylum screenings on his first month in office as part of a gutting of Trump administration border policies, which included building a wall with Mexico. Now, Biden is preparing his own version, according to APNews.
Under Biden's fast-track program, immigrants who don't qualify will be deported in days or a couple of weeks. They will be applied only to single adults.
The administration reassures people will have access to legal services. However, some immigrant advocates are doubtful because they were told that attorneys would not be let inside holding facilities.
Unlike the Trump administration, the Biden administration will not limit migrants to only one phone call. It's unclear how many calls US authorities can facilitate, especially if there is no answer and attorneys call back.
Initially, the screenings will be limited to Spanish-speaking countries to which the country has regular deportation flights. The administration started screening this month in Donna, Texas and expanded to large tents in other border cities, such as San Diego, El Paso, and Yuma.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 29: A park ranger keeps watch at a checkpoint for a road closed due to flooding in Yosemite Valley, as warming temperatures have increased snowpack runoff, on April 29, 2023 in Yosemite National Park, California. Most of Yosemite Valley is now closed because of the risk of extensive flooding from the melting snowpack amid a heat wave.
The Biden administration has also announced plans to address the root causes of migration from Central America, including poverty, violence, and corruption. The US government will invest $4 billion in aid over four years to help improve conditions in those countries.
In addition, the administration is working on a plan to provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants already living in the United States. This includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers (young people brought illegally into the country as children) and other undocumented individuals who have lived here for many years.
While there are still concerns about how effective these measures will be at managing immigration flows at the border, advocates hope that they represent an important step towards more humane policies that prioritize human rights and due process protections. Only time will tell whether these efforts can make a real difference in addressing one of our nation's most complex challenges.
Related article: Migrant Crisis: Biden's New Border Policy Limits Asylum for Immigrants
