The Biden government wants to allow tens of thousands of immigrants who are now awaiting asylum claims in Mexico to enter the United States. It concerns about 25,000 people who already have asylum claims in the United States, but were previously banned by the Trump administration from entering the country.
They will be gradually left across the border from next week. This occurs at three boundary points. There they have to register and get tested for Coronavirus. It can accept several hundred asylum seekers per day. The places where they are allowed to cross the border have not been announced. The authorities want to prevent migrants from rushing to the three points.
With the plan, President Biden cancels out an important point in Trump’s anti-immigration policy. By having asylum seekers at the border with Mexico await judgment on their asylum procedures, former President Trump had hoped to deter immigrants. The asylum procedure sometimes takes months or years.
Under the so-called “stay in Mexico” policy, tens of thousands of asylum seekers were returned to Mexico. They often ended up in tent camps. A court last year ruled that the policy violated immigrant rights norms.
