Staff Reports
Following President Joe Biden’s asylum ban, the number of immigrants crossing the southern border from Mexico remained stable, according to reports from law enforcement officers. The ban restricts adult immigrants from seeking asylum if over 2,500 people are arrested in a single day at the southern border, with the protocol in effect until daily arrests fall below an average of 1,500 people for at least two weeks.
Border Patrol agents in California and Texas reported no immediate increase or decrease in arrests following the ban. A Border Patrol agent in El Paso, Texas, mentioned that agents were still waiting to see the effects in the region.
US President Joe Biden's administration will block migrants from claiming asylum at the US-Mexico border until attempted crossings fall under new actions. The asylum ban goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET, barring any legal challenges that might block it https://t.co/hbVw8mNqHL
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 5, 2024
The ban means that immigrants are likely to be returned to Mexico or their home countries. However, the ban seems to have had little impact so far, with a senior state law enforcement official in Texas noting that the number of illegal crossings has remained steady.
Additionally, a Border Patrol official in South Texas mentioned that the region was well-prepared to handle illegal immigration before the ban. Agents in the area are known for not releasing immigrants into the United States but instead removing them from the country.
Despite the ban, there may be challenges in enforcing it, particularly in San Diego, as immigrants from faraway countries have been apprehended there. The region is not equipped to return immigrants from abroad, as it is difficult to fly back individuals from distant countries like China, India, Jordan, Georgia, and Colombia.
While senior Biden administration officials stated that the Department of Homeland Security had started flying immigrants back to several of those countries in recent months and had the capability to continue flights, it remains unclear how the repatriation process for immigrants from distant countries will be carried out on a large scale.
