From May 2023 to April 2024, U.S. authorities turned back nearly 660,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the U.S. southwest border, according to a Wall Street Journal publication. The number of illegal migrants passing through hotspots has fallen considerably. At the start of 2024, there were almost 250,000 per month, compared with 56,000 last July.
Tougher rules on asylum applications from the Mexico-U.S. border line appear to be having the desired effect on the Biden administration, which is facing severe criticism from Republicans. While the implementation of the restrictions provides a breath of fresh air to the Democratic camp in the middle of a campaign, it would be legitimate to ask how many migrants who qualify for asylum are unfairly blocked in their race to find a better life on American soil.
Fighting illegal immigration “inside and outside the border
Brazil, one of the hubs of illegal immigration to the United States, stepped up its vigilance on migration policy earlier this week. Reading between the lines, we “deduce” that, in all likelihood, the aim is to curb, if not reduce, the flow of illegal immigrants transiting through its territory to finally reach Joe Biden’s America. The press office of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice has announced that entry restrictions will henceforth apply to certain foreign citizens arriving from the Asian continent. This measure is justified by the fact that “many migrants often take flights that stop over at Guarulhos airport, taking advantage of their temporary stopover to head for the United States”, details a report signed by federal police investigator Marinho da Silva Rezende. From Monday August 26, a Brazilian visa will be required for travellers targeted by this measure, whether or not they are stopping over in Latin America’s largest territory.
Immigrants, between a rock and a hard place?
Immigration has always been a real challenge, both for the American authorities, with their divergent views on U.S. migration policy, and for immigrants, whether legal or illegal. Numerous pieces of legislation on the subject have failed to provide effective solutions. On August 19, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the implementation of “Keeping Families Together”, under which many spouses without legal status could apply for so-called “in-place parole”, thereby offering them permission to remain in the U.S., gain access to a green card and eventually embark on the path to citizenship. A “godsend”, the people concerned would say, against a backdrop of repeated threats of mass deportations uttered like a refrain by Donald Trump, with a view to a second term in the White House.
By implementing this measure, the Biden administration intends to eliminate “unjustified barriers for those who, according to the Department of Homeland Security, would be eligible to live and work legally in the United States”. It specifically targets certain foreign nationals, including their children and spouses of U.S. citizens. Such a move would bring in at least $290,000,000 for the U.S. economy. While the initiators of “Keeping Families Together” see it as a way of reducing pressure on the U.S. government’s limited resources and strengthening national security by reducing migrant pressure on border areas, no fewer than 16 Republican-led states see it as a stumbling block for their country, which legally or illegally hosts nearly 46 million immigrants (ref: Pew Research Center). In unison, they falsely denounce what they call the President’s personal plan to circumvent legal requirements. The case has already been referred to the Texas judicial authorities. While the Department of Homeland Security has no constraints on receiving applications, it is obliged to refrain from approving them, as required by an order.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, known by its acronym “USCIS”, is facing major challenges as it struggles to meet statutory deadlines and reduce the backlog of affirmative asylum applications. In a 30-page report published on July 3 this year, USCIS officials admit that they have not had the opportunity to finalize approved asylum applications within the allotted time. Out of a total of almost one million files, some 786,000 so-called positive applications are awaiting a decision. This situation is the result of the institution’s budgetary constraints, which are forcing it to cut back on application fees in order to compensate for its financial weaknesses.
Meanwhile, political blackmail and horse-trading reign in the U.S. Senate
Drowned in the debates fueling the election campaigns of the Democratic and Republican camps, a bill is dying in the drawers of the Senate. Pro-Trump Republican senators, backed by six Democrats, are blocking the progress of the document which, according to the Department of Homeland Security, should provide enough resources to allow the agency in charge of U.S. immigration and citizenship to regain its vigor. Should the bill pass as submitted, it provides for more than 4,300 additional agents and 100 additional immigration judges, in addition to those already on the job.
In this climate of political unrest, punctuated by repeated crimes committed by illegal migrants on American soil, Republicans – particularly those most reticent about immigration issues – are finding plenty to oil their campaign strategy, at great risk of wrongly penalizing many skilled immigrants whose applications are still stuck in an interminable deadlock.
Robenson Sanon
Journalist