'Illegal Immigration Asylum Ban' Executive Order Signed
Expectations to Block Trump's Offensive
Republicans Criticize as "Window Dressing"
U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order banning asylum applications from illegal immigrants and forcibly deporting them to their home countries. With growing dissatisfaction among Americans over the surge in illegal immigration ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, Biden has made a U-turn from his conciliatory policy stance and taken a bold step to raise the border wall. It is being evaluated that President Biden is becoming 'Trump-ified' in immigration policy by pledging to block the southern border and deport illegal immigrants.
The White House announced the implementation of this executive order on its website on the 4th (local time).
The executive order grants the president the authority to close the border if the number of immigrants attempting to cross illegally exceeds an average of 2,500 per day over a week. Exceptions may apply to unaccompanied children, victims of human trafficking, and others. As of last month, the number of illegal immigrants already exceeded an average of 3,500 per day, so the ban on asylum applications and forced deportations under this executive order could take effect immediately. This measure is based on Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the president to block entry if a foreign national is deemed harmful to the country.
For the U.S. to reopen the border and accept asylum applications from illegal immigrants again, this number must remain below an average of 1,500 per day over a week.
President Biden's shift from a conciliatory immigration policy to locking down the southern border is due to worsening public opinion amid the recent surge in illegal immigration. According to a Gallup poll conducted in April, 27% of respondents identified immigration as the most important issue facing the U.S. This is the first time in 24 years that respondents have named the same issue as the top concern for three consecutive months. A poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in late February also showed that 65% of respondents opposed the Biden administration's border security response, and 71% said immigration and border security policies were heading in the wrong direction.
Through this executive order, the Biden administration expects to block the Republican Party's offensive on the illegal immigration issue. Earlier, as public opinion around the surge in illegal immigration became serious, President Biden proposed a bill to strengthen border control earlier this year and urged Congress to pass it. However, the Republican Party did not cooperate with the bill's passage due to opposition from former President Donald Trump, who wanted to keep the illegal immigration issue alive until just before the election. The bill included a provision granting the president the authority to close the border if the number of immigrants attempting to cross illegally exceeded an average of 4,000 per day over a week.
The Republican Party criticized Biden's recent move as a showy policy ahead of the election that would not effectively stop the influx of illegal immigrants.
House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the executive order at a press conference, calling it "window dressing" and saying, "Everyone knows it. If he was truly concerned about the border, he would have taken such measures long ago." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "With the election just months away, President Biden wants to show that he is trying to solve the crisis through an executive order," and criticized, "His executive order allows over 900,000 illegal immigrants to enter the southern border annually."
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