Immigration Officer Evaluates Immigrant Eligibility
If National Security Risk is Determined, Deportation Within Days
Hardline Move Against Illegal Immigration Seen as Trump-Inspired 'Winning Move'
The Biden administration in the United States is set to announce measures that would allow for the rapid deportation of illegal immigrants, local media including Axios reported on the 8th (local time). This is interpreted as President Joe Biden making a decisive move on immigration policy, a vulnerable point for him, ahead of the November presidential election.
According to reports, the Biden administration plans to enable immigration officials to deny asylum and deport illegal immigrants who cross the U.S. border without proper documentation within days if they are deemed a national security risk. The new rule is expected to be announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as early as the 9th.
Until now, illegal immigrants entering the U.S. through the southern border could wait up to several years for a decision on their asylum applications. However, under the new rule to be announced, immigrants judged to pose a national security threat will undergo expedited deportation procedures, the media reported.
The Biden administration’s formulation of this rule is seen as a strategic move on immigration policy, which has drawn the strongest criticism from the opposition ahead of the November election. Former President Trump, Biden’s main rival in the election, has maintained a hardline stance on illegal immigration and has used the rapid increase in illegal immigrants during Biden’s tenure as a point of attack.
In fact, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and others, illegal border crossings, which numbered 400,000 in 2020, surged more than fourfold to 1.65 million in 2021 after Biden took office. In December last year, the monthly figure reached a record high of about 300,000 illegal entries into the U.S. Additionally, a Gallup poll conducted last February showed that the top reason for negative evaluations of Biden’s job performance was "illegal immigration" (19%).
Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, President Biden attempted last year to pass a border control enhancement bill bundled as a "security package," but it was stalled due to Republican opposition. This was influenced by former President Trump’s intention to use the issue as a campaign attack point through the election. As a result, Biden appears to have introduced immigration rules that can be enforced under presidential authority without congressional approval.
Meanwhile, Biden’s presidential campaign began an online advertisement on the 7th recalling the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy, which separated illegal immigrant minors under 18 from their parents. That policy was abolished in 2021 amid human rights abuse controversies.
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