Joe Biden Announces Executive Order on the US-Mexico Border, Set Border Restrictions

After weeks of teasing, President Joe Biden has finally announced more restrictive measures regarding the US-Mexico border in an effort to clamp down on immigration. The executive order is expected to set migrant limits and even close down the border should the number of migrants reach a certain level.

Under this new executive order, the border would temporarily shut down once the average number of daily encounters tops 2,500 between official ports of entry. Asylum requests would also be stopped once this threshold has been reached.

"The border is not a political issue to be weaponized," said the president in his announcement, adding that the shutdown would be immediate once the threshold has been met. The border would only reopen once the number of migrant encounters falls to 1,500.

Senior Biden officials told reporters that "individuals who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances unless they are accepted by the proclamation."

Migrants must now also meet the requirement of having a "credible fear" when they apply for asylum. Those who do not will be removed immediately, and administration officials noted that they "anticipate that we will be removing those individuals in a matter of days, if not hours."

This was met with praise from several local officials whose districts or towns are right along the US-Mexico border, with Texas state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., whose district includes Eagle Pass, telling NBC News, "It's definitely a step in the right direction. One of a number of steps that are necessary for us to be able to secure the border."

However, the executive order did have a few exceptions. These include unaccompanied children, which Republicans slammed as a loophole that child traffickers might exploit.

Joe Biden Slams Republicans and Donald Trump Over Prioritizing Politics Over the IS-Mexico Border

The executive order from Biden over the US-Mexico border came after Republicans repeatedly rejected legislation that would impose stricter measures at the border. In his speech, Biden blasted Republicans over their inaction and choosing to play politics instead.

"Republicans have left me no choice," the president noted, adding that he was acting on his own to "gain control of the border" while also insisting that "I believe immigration has always been the lifeblood of America."

He also blasted Donald Trump, stating that the former president and convicted felon "told the Republicans ... that he didn't want to fix the issue, he wanted to use it to attack me," adding, "It was a cynical, extremely cynical, political move and a complete disservice to the American people who are looking for us not to weaponize the border but to fix it."

Migrants Unconcerned Over Joe Biden's New Measures Along US-Mexico Border

Despite this increasing security along the US-Mexico border, some migrants remain undeterred as they continue to aim for a better life in the United States. Some of them spoke with CNN soon after Biden announced the executive order.

"They (the US) have been saying the same thing for a long time, since Trump was there, they are saying that the border is going to be closed," one migrant told the outlet. "They built a fence, they built the wall, but still the amount of people that come from our countries is too large."

"Just like when we knocked down the doors of Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Spain and so on. This is never going to end. This is a process of many years," another migrant added,

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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