The Biden administration on Thursday will announce new measures to more quickly screen asylum seekers for potential risks to public safety or national security.
The proposed regulation will essentially move these screenings to an earlier stage of the asylum process, increasing the likelihood that migrants who pose a potential threat will be quickly removed from the country.
The regulation will still need to go through a public comment period — it will not be the major executive action the government has hoped for on immigration, according to a source familiar with the deliberations.
The proposal, first reported by Politicowould increase the consequences of the initial asylum review.
Under current rules, in-depth background checks are left to the interview phase, after migrants have already declared their intention to seek asylum, and U.S. asylum officers have determined that they meet the basic requirements to apply. qualify.
Under the new proposal, these asylum officers would determine both initial eligibility and the risk of potential threats posed by individuals.
The proposal is part of an expected package of executive actions that the Biden administration is considering in lieu of the failed bipartisan border bill, which would have implemented much stricter asylum restrictions.
The Biden administration would also be considering executive actions to make it easier for long-term undocumented immigrants to regularize their status, especially if they are close family members of US citizens.
Democrats are pulling the Biden administration in both directions. On Tuesday, a group of battleground district Democrats called for border-centered enforcement solutions, while on Wednesday members of Congress’s Hispanic and Progressive caucuses called for relief for undocumented residents.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
