According to the decree signed by the tenant of the White House, when the seven-day average of daily border crossings exceeds 2,500, migrants seeking asylum will be turned back.
Then, once the seven-day average drops below 1,500, this measure will be lifted.
According to several observers, this announcement, which comes a few months before the presidential elections, aims to attract right-wing voters.
This measure is, however, likely to generate negative reactions from progressives and immigration advocates.
“President Biden believes we must secure our border. “That’s why today he announced executive actions to deny asylum to migrants who illegally cross our southern border,” the White House said in a statement.
These measures “will make it easier for immigration agents to expel people who do not have a legal basis to stay and will reduce the burden on our Border Patrol agents,” according to the press release. .
According to official data released on May 15, after a peak of 302,000 apprehensions of illegal migrants at the border with Mexico in December, interceptions of migrants fell 42% to around 180,000 and have remained relatively stable since January.
A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimates that net immigration to the United States was 3.3 million in 2023 and is expected to remain at that level in 2024, before falling to 2.6 million in 2025 and 1.8 million in 2026.
Immigration, and particularly border crossings, is among the hottest topics in the run-up to the November presidential election.
