People who cross the border illegally are quickly deported back to Mexico or their home country and then lose their right to seek asylum again. There are some exceptions for unaccompanied minors or people who need medical care. The border will be allowed to reopen only if the border police encounter an average of 1,500 people per day.
“These measures will be in place when the volume of arrivals at the southern border exceeds our capacity, as is the case now,” the White House statement said.
Indeed, many migrants are coming to the United States: In the first 21 days of May, about 3,700 people crossed the border into Mexico each day. In recent months, the total number of border police interventions has dropped from 300,000 in December 2023 to 179,000 last April.
US asylum courts can no longer cope with the volume of applications. Currently, about 2 million files still need to be processed, Biden said. As a result, it can take years before someone is allowed to plead their case to the authorities. The new law should partially remove this backlog.
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