Biden’s Plan to Stem Border Migration and End Restrictions

The U.S. government is trying to figure out ways to stop people from illegally entering the United States from Mexico before their immigration restrictions expire. They plan to do this by arresting those who attempt to cross the border while also providing safer alternatives for migrants.

The plan is to create places in Guatemala and Colombia where people running away from violence and poverty can go to apply for permission to fly into the USA, Spain, or Canada. More of these centers will probably be added in the future.

The government wants to quickly check people looking for safety at the border and kick out those who aren’t allowed. They will also punish people who sneak into the U.S., or go through another country to get to the U.S. border without permission.

It’s unsure if the new policies will help reduce the amount of people moving away from their homes because of economic and political troubles. People might be feeling more pressure to leave with limits on expelling migrants, which is due to end on May 11, that were implemented during the pandemic.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a news conference that the U.S. will work together with other countries in the same area to solve this problem. He was also warning people not to think they can just come to the U.S. after May 11th -because our borders are still closed and they won’t be open then either.

Immigration has been a struggle for President Biden since he took office, as Republicans say that he does not keep the border secure enough and advocates claim that he is too harsh in stopping migrants from coming here illegally. As the president declares his intention to run again in 2024, it will be hard for him to find a way to reach an agreement, especially if there are many more people at the border on May 11.

The government has said that not everyone can agree on how to fix the immigration issue. So, they are trying a new plan called the “Carrot-and-Stick” approach where select people will be rewarded with visas, while others at the border might face harsher punishments.

The U.S. government plans to open particular centers in countries like Guatemala and Colombia where people can find information about migrating to the United States. Canada and Spain have said they would accept migrants that come from these centers too. The U.S. will also increase the number of refugees accepted from Central and South America – up to 15,000 in Fiscal Year 2023.

The government is making plans to process asylum-seekers who come to the southern border much faster, so that those who don’t make it through the screening process can be sent home even quicker. People who had been sent away from the U.S. wouldn’t be allowed to come back for five years. The government also announced a rule which would stop people from getting asylum if they passed through another country but did not look for protection there or came into the U.S. illegally – this might go into effect before May 11.

The government has decided not to detain families that are crossing the border illegally. Instead, they will track the families by having them obey a curfew and wear tracking devices like GPS. If it is found that those families don’t qualify for staying in America, then they will be sent away.

The government is helping families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia reunite by creating a new program. This program will also make it easier for families from Cuba and Haiti to be together too. They are also trying to stop people who might want to travel illegally from these countries to the United States by cracking down on smuggling networks.

Andrew Selee is the leader of a group called the Migration Policy Institute. He said the government recently announced plans on how to handle immigration. But he said it would take a lot of effort and time for these plans to work.

Selee said that the administration just created a plan that’s very comprehensive. He also added that the government is putting in so much effort into building processing centers. Their goal for those processing centers is to give people lots of information about all the available migration options – something which U.S embassies cannot provide.

Mr. Selee says that in order for these centers to work, they need to be connected with local organizations in different countries so migrants will know about them and so people who really need to flee can go to the centers for help.

Some people, including members of President Biden’s political party, did not like the announcement because it makes it harder for migrants to get asylum at the border.

Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey is mad with the White House’s recent plan on immigration. He had suggested a different plan that involved helping people from Central American countries. He also has doubts on how the President’s plan will be put into action.

Senator Menendez asked: “How can we set up places for processing people? Who will be present to make sure that somebody is treated fairly in such circumstances and how could we use other countries to look after those individuals and keep them safe?”

Groups that help refugees and other migrants said they approve some parts of the president’s plan like offering more places for people from South and Central America to come in and quickly joining up families. But, they also don’t want people seeking asylum at the border to be forgotten about.

The International Refugee Assistance Program is not sure about the plan for refugees. They don’t know how it’s going to work or where the money will come from. Plus, the refugee program in the U.S. still isn’t back to normal after President Trump made some changes.

Lacy Broemel, a program policy analyst, said that they’re left with more questions than answers.

Groups that normally don’t agree with President Biden think his plan to quickly process migrants is wrong. The Federation for American Immigration Reform said it’s a way to let an unlimited number of people into the country without rules. Reporters Stephen Groves in Washington, Valeria Gonzales in McAllen, Texas and Spagat in San Diego all worked on the story.