The White House and a bipartisan group in the Senate reached an immigration agreement that will require allocate $23 billion to border securityas well as tighten and improve some immigration processes, such as asylum requests, deportations and granting new visas.
“[Son] 23 billion to address existing operational needs and expand capabilities at our nation’s border, resources for new border policies included in the package and help stop the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics,” defended Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York), in a call with reporters on Monday night. “We need to strengthen our southern border and provide aid and resources to our allies who face existential and fundamental threats to their countries.”
HR 815 includes more funding than President Joe Biden originally requested last October, when he would allocate nearly $14 billion to the border. In a message on Sunday night, once the project was unveiled, the president affirmed the plan will help treat people “fairly and humanely and at the same time preserve legal immigration.”
“[La ley] would give me, as president, new emergency authority to close the border when it is overwhelmed,” defended the president. This decision will occur when migrant flows will be between 4,000 and 5,000 per day.
There is expected to be criticism from members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), who were not integrated into the negotiation, which is defended by the Biden Administration.
“It will make our asylum process fairer and more efficient, while protecting the most vulnerable. “It will expedite work permits so that those who are here and qualify can get to work more quickly,” the Biden Administration added.
He said the plan will also allow opportunities for families to reunite in the U.S., through short-term visits and increased permanent legal pathways, as well as increased funding for immigration courts and increased fentanyl security.
“It will provide the resources I have repeatedly requested to secure the border by adding Border Patrol agents, immigration judges, asylum officers and state-of-the-art inspection machines to help detect and stop the flow of fentanyl,” he said.
In the call with journalists, in addition to Senator Schumer, there were Democrats Patty Murray (Massachusetts) and Chris Murphy (Connecticut), who highlighted the work with Republican James Lankford (Oklahoma) whose position highlights the increase in security at the border.
“The bill provides funds to build the wall, increase technology at the border and add more detention beds, more agents and more deportation flights,” Lankford said in a statement. “Ends the abuse of parole on our southwest border, which has been applied to more than a million people; “Dramatically changes our ambiguous asylum laws by providing rapid screening with a higher level of evidence, limited appeals, and expedited deportations.”
It will be more difficult to obtain asylum
The bill allows the request for asylum, but in a more strict form and with accelerated deportation processes, for immigrants whose case is not considered “credible.”
It highlights that officers who conduct the “credible fear” interview can grant protection almost immediately.
Rejected petitioners will be offered the option of voluntary return or will be processed immediately.
“These provisions create a mechanism by which an alien who is encountered at the border and placed in these procedures will have a credible fear interview, under the elevated standard within 90 days of crossing the border and their case will be decided on the merits within of the 180 days following crossing the border,” the plan indicates.
Those whose asylum case is credible will have a faster decision by a judge, since resources will also be allocated for hiring in immigration courts.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will also have new authority to hire more agents to assist in deportation proceedings.
Work permits for immigrants will be expedited
The project seeks to ensure that certain immigrants in the US can obtain their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expeditiously, including asylum seekers.
“This bill provides work authorization to approximately 25,000 K-1, K-2, and K-3 nonimmigrant visa holders (fiancé or spouse and children of U.S. citizens) per year,” the White House highlighted.
Also around 100,000 spouses and children with H-4 visas of certain H-1B (skilled workers) will be benefited, this will allow the beneficiaries to carry out the process in US territory, not in a consulate in their countries of origin.
Fight against fentanyl
The project includes actions to detect fentanyl trafficking and reduce crossings into the US.
“It will resource the new border policies included in the package and help stop the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics,” said Senator Murray.
The project would finance the installation of 100 state-of-the-art inspection machines to help detect fentanyl at ports of entry on the border with Mexico, the plan highlights.
Highlights
The bill is a 370-page document that details actions on national security and the border, such as:
– Grant new temporary authority to the president to close the border.
– Expedites access to work authorization for migrants.
– Asylum seekers could obtain a work permit sooner than the current 180 days.
– Facilitates renewal of H-1B work visas and protection for families by granting employment authorization.
– Modifies the selection threshold for asylum from “significant possibility” to “reasonable possibility.”
– More than 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol personnel.
– More than 4,300 new asylum officers and additional Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) staff.
– 100 new teams of immigration judges
– Funds for shelter and critical services for newcomers to certain cities and states
– 1,200 new CBP personnel for law enforcement and deportations.
Keep reading:
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