Special Poll
President Biden is gearing up to announce a comprehensive executive action aimed at curbing illegal border crossings.
This significant move, which has been in the works for months, represents a notable shift in the administration’s approach, signaling a tougher stance on border control.
The expected announcement and signing of the executive order will take place at the White House on Tuesday, with South Texas mayors in attendance. This comes as Republicans have blamed Biden for the increase in border crossings. In recent days, the administration has been in contact with several border area mayors and members of Congress to brief them on the upcoming measures.
The order will leverage a provision of the U.S. code known as 212(f), allowing border officials to swiftly turn back migrants who cross the border illegally without granting them the opportunity to seek asylum. This policy will be triggered when illegal border crossings reach an average of 2,500 per day.
Initially, there were discussions about setting the threshold at 4,000 or 5,000 crossings per day. The order mirrors a bipartisan border deal from earlier this year, which Republicans ultimately rejected under the influence of former President Trump. As Trump gears up for his presidential campaign, he is likely to focus heavily on the border issue, a major concern for many voters.
The success of this order will depend significantly on cooperation from Mexico, which recently held elections and will soon inaugurate its first female president.
A White House spokesperson commented, “While Congressional Republicans chose to stand in the way of additional border enforcement, President Biden will not stop fighting to deliver the resources that border and immigration personnel need to secure our border.”
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), a long-time advocate for stricter border measures, expressed his support: “I’ve been briefed on the pending executive order. I certainly support it because I’ve been advocating for these measures for years. While the order is yet to be released, I am supportive of the details provided to me thus far.”
The executive action is expected to prompt swift legal challenges. Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney known for leading high-profile immigration cases, stated, “We will need to see the EO before making any litigation decisions. Any policy that effectively ends asylum protection for people fleeing danger would raise significant legal problems, as it did when Trump tried to end asylum.”