Biden is creating legal ways for immigrants after Title 42 ends, says Mayorkas.

Biden Administration Encourages Legal Pathways for Immigrants

The Biden administration is urging immigrants to take advantage of legal pathways to enter the United States, as the end of Title 42 approaches. Failure to do so could result in new and expedited deportation processes, including the denial of asylum to many immigrants caught crossing the southern border illegally. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced that the new regulation would presume individuals who do not access lawful pathways as ineligible for asylum, with a higher burden of proof to overcome that assumption of ineligibility.

Curbing Illegal Immigration

The Biden administration aims to curb an anticipated rise in illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border starting May 11, when Title 42 will be lifted. Title 42, implemented under the Trump administration in March 2020, allows for blocking asylum claims and swift expulsion of most unauthorized border crossers under the grounds of keeping contagious diseases out of the United States. When Title 42 is lifted, all illegal immigrants will be processed under the Title 8 immigration law.

Building Lawful Pathways

The Biden administration is “building lawful pathways” to “provide a safe and orderly way for individuals who qualify for relief under U.S. law to reach the United States safely,” said Mayorkas. The administration is expanding access to CBP One, an app that allows migrants to schedule an appointment to approach a border port of entry. The administration is also encouraging migrants to apply for refugee resettlement or other forms of entry at two new processing centers in Guatemala and Colombia without having to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Warning to Migrants

Migrant arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border have risen in recent weeks, which Mayorkas attributed to a spike in illegal immigrants from Venezuela. Mayorkas issued a warning directed at migrants who plan to cross the southern border illegally, amid the perception among them that they will be allowed in upon the end of Title 42. “The border is not open, it has not been open, and it will not be open, subsequent to May 11,” he said.

Key Takeaways

• The Biden administration is urging immigrants to take advantage of legal pathways to enter the United States, as the end of Title 42 approaches.
• The new regulation would presume individuals who do not access lawful pathways as ineligible for asylum, with a higher burden of proof to overcome that assumption of ineligibility.
• The Biden administration aims to curb an anticipated rise in illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border starting May 11, when Title 42 will be lifted.
• The administration is “building lawful pathways” to “provide a safe and orderly way for individuals who qualify for relief under U.S. law to reach the United States safely.”
• Migrant arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border have risen in recent weeks, which Mayorkas attributed to a spike in illegal immigrants from Venezuela.