A group of bipartisan lawmakers is reportedly on the verge of reaching a deal with the Biden administration to implement new measures aimed at curbing illegal border crossings. The agreement, which could be announced this week, is intended to address the surge in illegal crossings along the southern border in recent years.
The negotiations, which have been ongoing for weeks, involve GOP Sen. James Lankford, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, along with the White House. However, any immigration proposal would face challenges in the House, where conservative lawmakers are advocating for even stricter changes to the asylum system.
Former President Donald Trump’s opposition to the deal has also caused divisions among Republican lawmakers. Trump recently stated at a rally in Las Vegas that he would rather have no bill than a bad bill.
If the agreement is passed into law, it would mark the first major bipartisan overhaul of the nation’s immigration system in decades. One key element of the deal is the granting of new legal authority to the executive branch to temporarily suspend asylum processing when there is a significant increase in migrant crossings. This power would apply to remote areas along the border in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, where migrants frequently enter the U.S. illegally and surrender themselves to overwhelmed immigration officials.
The authority would be triggered when the average daily migrant crossings reach specific thresholds, such as 5,000 over seven days, 8,500 in a single day, or 4,000 in a week. When invoked, migrants who enter the U.S. illegally would not be eligible to request asylum and would face immediate deportation to Mexico or their home country. However, exceptions would be made for those who pass screenings for other forms of humanitarian protection.
The emerging deal would also penalize those who enter the U.S. illegally while preserving the asylum process at official ports of entry. It would require border officials to continue processing over 1,400 asylum-seekers daily at these ports when the shutdown authority is in effect.
Other components of the deal include expanding the scope of expedited removals, expediting the decision-making process for asylum cases, and raising the standard of proof in initial asylum interviews. In addition, the agreement would require a significant surge in personnel and resources, including detention facilities and deportation flights.
The compromise is also expected to address legal immigration by allocating 50,000 new family and employment-based immigrant visas, offering permanent residency to Afghans brought to the U.S. following the fall of Kabul in 2021, and providing immigration status to the children of H-1B visa holders.
However, it’s important to note that the deal would not grant legal status to the estimated 11 million immigrants currently residing in the U.S. without authorization, including Dreamers brought to the country as children.
According to official government data, over 302,000 migrants were processed along the southern border in December, a record high. Since then, the number of illegal crossings has declined, which U.S. officials attribute to increased enforcement measures implemented by Mexico and the typical decrease in crossings following the holiday season.
President Biden has expressed his support for the emerging deal, calling it the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country. He has emphasized the need to address the border situation and indicated that he would utilize the new powers provided by the deal as soon as it becomes law.
The negotiations have involved numerous discussions and compromises, with various provisions being considered and revised. The ongoing talks reflect the urgent need to address the nation’s immigration system and find a bipartisan solution to the challenges posed by illegal border crossings.
