President Joe BidenThe ‘s administration plans to send approximately 1,500 troops to the US border with Mexico before the end of Title 42, a pandemic-era immigration restriction the administration has long relied on to curb the influx of asylum seekers crossing into the country. according to the associated press and other media.
The administration is tasking troops primarily with administrative and logistical work, freeing up Customs and Border Protection agents to focus on field work as Title 42 comes to an end on May 11. at the border for at least 90 days.
The continued stream of asylum seekers crossing the border, and how to handle it, has proven to be one of the thorniest political issues facing Biden and one the GOP has been eager to highlight. Biden came into office promising a softer hand on immigrants compared to the former president. donald trumpThe use of family separation and other punitive measures to deter border crossers.
Biden relied on Title 42, which gave the government the power to deny asylum claims on health grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic, to limit the entry of immigrants.
Beyond calling in additional troops, there are already approximately 2,700 National Guardsmen at the border, the administration is also implementing a series of steps to manage demand. They are opening centers throughout Latin America, starting with Guatemala and Colombia, where people fleeing violence and poverty can apply for asylum without traveling to the border.
The administration has also instituted new policies to quickly screen and deport asylum seekers at the border and punish those who travel through Mexico illegally to reach the border. Those new policies have sparked protests from immigrant rights groups, which argue that they are similar to a Trump proposal annulled by the courts.
For now, however, Biden’s Republican critics believe that pulling down troops will do little to ease the border chaos.
“They can’t enforce immigration laws under posse comitatus, so they can help on the fringes, but this will get a lot worse before it gets better,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), referring to the law. prevent the military from playing a role in civilian law enforcement.
democrats and immigration advocates also had a moderate response to the administration’s decision to send active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border.
“I understand that your function is only logistical support. I certainly hope it stays that way, and I have communicated that to him,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) told HuffPost.
Sen. Robert Menendez (DN.J.), a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, added: “I am against militarizing the border.”
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
