Page 2 - aruba-today-20230106

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 6 January 2023
Biden toughens border, offers legal path for 30,000 a month

Continued from Front to come and ask to be al-
lowed into the country.
“This new process is order- At the U.S.-Mexico border,
ly,” Biden said. “It’s safe migrants have been de-
and humane, and it works.” nied a chance to seek asy-
The move, while not unex- lum 2.5 million times since
pected, drew swift criticism March 2020 under the Title
from asylum and immigra- 42 restrictions, introduced
tion advocates, who have as an emergency health
had a rocky relationship measure by Trump to pre-
with the president. vent the spread of CO-
“President Biden correct- VID-19. But there always
ly recognized today that has been criticism that the
seeking asylum is a legal restrictions were used as a
right and spoke sympa- pretext by the Republican
thetically about people to seal off the border.
fleeing persecution,” said Biden moved to end the
Jonathan Blazer, the Amer- Title 42 restrictions, and
ican Civil Liberties Union’s Republicans sued to keep
director of border strate- them. The U.S. Supreme
gies. “But the plan he an- Court has kept the rules in
nounced further ties his ad- place for now. White House
ministration to the poison- officials say they still believe
ous anti-immigrant policies the restrictions should end,
of the Trump era instead of but they maintain they can
restoring fair access to asy- continue to turn away mi-
lum protections.” grants under immigration
Even with the health law re- law.
strictions in place, the presi- The four nationalities that
dent has seen the num- Biden addressed on Thurs-
bers of migrants crossing day now make up the ma-
the U.S.-Mexico border rise jority of those crossing the
dramatically during his two border illegally. Cubans,
years in office; there were who are leaving the island
more than 2.38 million stops nation in their largest num-
during the fiscal year that bers in six decades, were
ended Sept. 30, the first stopped 34,675 times at
time the number topped the U.S. border with Mexico
2 million. The administra- in November, up 21% from
tion has struggled to clamp October. Nicaraguans, a
down on crossings, reluc- large reason why El Paso
tant to take hard-line mea- has become the busiest
sures that would resemble President Joe Biden speaks about border security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, corridor for illegal crossings,
those of the Trump admin- Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris stands at left. were stopped 34,209 times
istration. Associated Press in November, up 65% from
That’s resulted in relentless U.S.-Mexico border and try and are allowed into the id, dangerous camps over October.
criticism from Republicans are turned back. Normally, U.S. to wait out their cases. the border where migrants But Venezuelans were seen
who say the Democratic these migrants would be But there is a 2 million-case were forced to wait. That far less at the border after
president is ineffective on returned to their country of immigration court back- system was ended under Mexico agreed on Oct. 12
border security, and the origin, but the U.S. can not log, so cases often are not Biden, and the migrants to begin accepting those
newly minted Republican easily send back people heard for years. who are returned to Mexi- expelled from the United
House majority has prom- from those four countries The only lasting way to co under the new rules will States. They were stopped
ised congressional investi- for a variety of reasons that change the system is not be eligible for asylum. 7,931 times, down 64% from
gations on the matter. include relations with the through Congress, but a Biden will also triple the October.
The new policy could re- governments there. bipartisan congressional number of refugees ac- Venezuelans have said the
sult in 360,000 people from Anyone coming to the U.S. effort on new immigra- cepted to the U.S. from the changes have been diffi-
these four nations lawfully is allowed to claim asylum, tion laws failed shortly be- Western Hemisphere, to cult, particularly with find-
entering the U.S. in a year, a regardless of how they fore Republicans took the 20,000 from Latin America ing a sponsor who has the
huge number. But far more crossed the border, and House majority. and Caribbean, over the financial resources to dem-
people from those coun- migrants seeking a better “The actions we’re an- next two years. Refugees onstrate the ability to sup-
tries have been attempt- life in the U.S. often pay nouncing will make things and asylum-seekers have port them.
ing to cross into the U.S. on smugglers the equivalent better, but will not fix the to meet the same criteria to And even if they find a
foot, by boat or swimming; of thousands of dollars to border problem complete- be allowed into the coun- sponsor, sometimes they
migrants from those four deliver them across the ly,” Biden said, in pressing try, but they arrive through delay their arrival because
countries were stopped dangerous Darien Gap. lawmakers to act. different means. they don’t have the eco-
82,286 times in November But the requirements for Under then-President Don- Border officials are also cre- nomic resources to pay
alone. granting asylum are nar- ald Trump, the U.S. re- ating an online appoint- for the flight to the U.S. For
Mexico has agreed to ac- row, and only about 30% of quired asylum seekers to ment portal to help reduce some, the Venezuelan
cept up to 30,000 migrants applications are granted. wait across the border in wait times at U.S. ports of passport that they need
each month from the four That has created a system Mexico. But clogs in the im- entry for those coming le- to come has expired, and
countries who attempt to in which migrants try to migration system created gally. It will allow people they cannot afford to pay
walk or swim across the cross between ports of en- long delays, leading to fet- to set up an appointment for the renewal.q