Under Biden border move, fewer migrants are released into the U.S. or screened for asylum

President Biden's move to partially suspend asylum processing at the southern border has led to a dramatic drop in the number of migrants released into the U.S. interior or screened for humanitarian protection, official government statistics show.

In early June, Mr. Biden, citing the record levels of illegal border crossings over the past years, invoked a sweeping executive authority to disqualify most migrants from U.S. asylum, making it easier for immigration officials to deport those entering the country illegally.

A months-long downward trend in unauthorized border crossings accelerated after Mr. Biden's order took effect. In July, the number of migrants illegally crossing the southern border between official entry points plummeted to 56,400, the lowest level in nearly 4 years, according to federal statistics. U.S. officials have also attributed the marked decrease to rising summer temperatures and a crackdown by Mexican officials on migrants trekking north.