‘Cruel’: Biden administration toughens asylum restrictions at US border
Al Jazeera
Migrant rights advocates slam measures, which will make it more difficult to apply for asylum, as ‘cruel’ and illegal.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is toughening asylum restrictions at the United States-Mexico border, as the Democrat tries to show voters that his party is taking a harder stance on immigration in the lead-up to November’s election.
The new rules announced on Monday, which expand on restrictions announced in June, bar migrants from being granted asylum when US officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed.
“This action has been taken in parallel with other Administration actions that have both increased enforcement and delivered to asylum seekers safe and lawful pathways to humanitarian relief,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
Under the previous rules, the US government could restrict asylum access when the number of migrants and asylum seekers trying to enter the country between official border crossings hit 2,500 per day.
The daily numbers had to average below 1,500 per day for a week in order for the restrictions to be lifted.
