U.S. President Joe Biden is flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris as he speaks about U.S.-Mexico border security and enforcement, within the Roosevelt Room on the White House in Washington, U.S., January 5, 2023.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden will visit the southern border city of El Paso, Texas, on Sunday to fulfill with local officials and address enforcement operations on the U.S.-Mexico border, senior administration officials said Thursday.
The announcement got here in a briefing with reporters about recent immigration rules the administration said will expand legal pathways to the U.S. for migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua while imposing recent punishments for illegal entry.
The small print of the trip were revealed a day after Biden said he planned to go to the border for the primary time, nearly two years after taking office. His absence has drawn constant attacks from Republicans critical of the administration’s border policies, blaming the White House for a roiling migrant crisis.
“So long as America is the land of freedom and opportunity, persons are going to try to return here,” Biden said on the White House on Thursday morning. He was accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden previously tasked with handling immigration issues.
“The actions we’re announcing today will make things higher, but won’t fix the border problem completely. There’s more that needs to be done,” Biden said, calling on Congress to pass more comprehensive immigration laws.
Biden is ready to travel to Mexico City on Monday and Tuesday to attend the North American Leaders’ Summit.
Ahead of the trip, officials announced several recent enforcement actions which might be aimed to account for the eventual lifting of Title 42, the coronavirus-era measure used to expel many migrants on public health grounds.
The actions include extending a migrant parole process to permit entry and temporary work authorization for as much as 30,000 people per thirty days from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua. The policy, which was previously available only to Venezuelan nationals, has significantly reduced the number of individuals attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully, the White House said.
Those individuals, who’ve eligible sponsors and pass background checks, can come to the U.S. for as much as two years, the officials said. But those that cross the Panama, Mexico or U.S. borders without proper authorization can be ineligible and might be expelled to Mexico, which can accept as much as 30,000 people per thirty days from those 4 countries.
The brand new rules are intended to persuade more would-be migrants to use to the U.S. from where they’re, slightly than making a protracted and dangerous trek to the border.
The Department of Homeland Security can be increasing its use of the expedited removal process for people attempting to enter the U.S. improperly, the officials said. Those people can be sent back to their country of origin and banned from reentry for five years.
The Biden administration also shared plans to spice up resources for border enforcement, including scaling up DHS’ transportation capabilities and increasing asylum officers and judges to review cases.
Greater than 2 million people have been deported on the southern border under Title 42 for the reason that policy went into effect in 2020. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to maintain the policy in place for now and listen to arguments about it from Republican-led states.
“Title 42 or not, the border is just not open,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a press briefing later Thursday.