The Biden administration has implemented a new asylum rule that it says will help curb the number of migrants crossing the southern border. The new rule would limit asylum eligibility for those who enter the U.S. illegally without first applying for asylum in another country they traveled through. It is expected to impede unauthorized crossings and relieve pressure on border facilities that are currently overwhelmed.
Critics say the new policy disproportionately bars individuals from seeking asylum, especially those fleeing dangerous conditions, in a manner that violates international protections for asylum seekers. Protests persist against the rule, pending lawsuits filed by advocacy groups on behalf of migrants who cannot safely seek asylum in often, dangerous transit countries and would result in refoulement to unsafe conditions.
It is a policy that gives migrants more of a reason to seek entry through legal means of admission, thus making immigration safer and more orderly. Similarly, the administration has introduced other initiatives as alternatives, including expedited processing programs and more refugee resettlement opportunities. However, the policy remains contentious, and its full implications are yet to be realized.
But as debates persist, the policy has sharpened the focus on whether U.S. immigration laws comport with international humanitarian responsibilities. It embodies the potential perils of navigating around competing demands for border security and moral protection of persecuted people.
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