Under historic asylum laws, people are allowed to enter the United States illegally and then request asylum. They can do this because they have a genuine fear of harm or persecution. Crossing the border wasn’t done properly, but that is because it was done for safety reasons. Immigrants can then use asylum to seek protection from deportation.
However, the Biden Administration recently announced a halt on asylum. As long as more than 2,500 illegal immigrants are coming over the border every day, no one is allowed to seek asylum. The hope is that this will keep people from abusing the system by crossing illegally, as many people may qualify for other types of immigration. Maybe they just need to get a visa or a green card, rather than seeking asylum.
The halt is technically temporary
The issue is that there have been more than 2,500 people illegally entering the country per day for almost Biden’s entire presidency. The only time when it was lower was at the beginning, thanks to the pandemic making travel more difficult. Today, though, 2,500 immigrants is common.
To get rid of the ban, the government needs to see two weeks in a row where there are under 1,500 illegal entries. If this happens, they will reinstitute asylum. Technically speaking, this means that the ban could be lifted in the future. Realistically, though, it means that the halt is indefinite. It will likely last through the end of Biden’s presidency, and it will be up to the next president to decide if it will be extended or not.
As such, it is very important for immigrants to keep an eye on how laws are changing and what legal options they have.