The Biden administration is reportedly planning on speeding up the deportations of migrant families seeking asylum in the U.S. as the border crisis worsens.
Certain families will now be subject to fast-track deportation, known as “expedited removal,” which allows immigration authorities to deport illegal immigrants even if they have not appeared before a judge for an asylum hearing, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
This is part of the administration’s new 21-point plan to help immigration officials move through asylum claims quickly, according to NBC News.
The plan calls for asylum officers to have full authority to rule on asylum claims for migrants crossing the border, which would allow immigration officials to determine how serious asylum claims are without having to wait for the backlogged immigration courts.
Former president Donald Trump passed an almost identical policy during the coronavirus pandemic, but President Joe Biden repealed it and most other Trump era immigration policies during his first weeks in office.
The pivot back to Trump’s policy, however, is the latest indication that the Biden administration realizes it needs to crack down on the heavy flow of illegals who continue to cross the border.
Last week, Biden reiterated that migrants “should not come” to the U.S., and said he will continue to work with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries to stem the flow of migration at its source.
The DHS reiterated Biden’s stance in a statement released this week:
“Attempting to cross into the United States between ports of entry, or circumventing inspection at ports of entry, is the wrong way to come to the United States,” the agency said. “These acts are dangerous and can carry long-term immigration consequences for individuals who attempt to do so.”
