Biden will sign an executive order on U.S.-Mexico border policy

The Biden administration is in the final stages of planning a new policy aimed at curbing migration across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The new steps would include pausing asylum applications and automatically denying entry to migrants when the number of people encountered by U.S. border officials exceeds a new daily threshold.

President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order implementing the new policy as early as Tuesday, although it has not yet been finalized, according to the Associated Press, which spoke to four people familiar with the matter.

Biden is considering additional executive actions to address immigration concerns following the failure of a bipartisan border bill earlier this year and subsequent changes.

In December, the U.S. Border Patrol caught a record 250,000 migrants crossing the border illegally, but the numbers have since dropped significantly, with 137,000 people arrested in March.

But immigration remains a top issue for Biden as the November presidential election approaches.

Republicans, including his opponent, former President Donald Trump, have criticized Biden’s handling of the situation at the border.

White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said the administration “continues to explore a range of policy options” and remains “committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.”

“Even though Republicans in Congress have chosen to stand in the way of additional border enforcement, President Biden will not stop fighting to provide the resources border and immigration personnel need to secure our border,” he said.

The Biden administration is trying to prevent a potential surge in border crossings that typically occurs when the weather cools.

The new steps include faster adjudication processes and enhanced cooperation with Mexican authorities to more effectively manage migrant flows.

One of the main metrics being considered is to set an upper limit on the number of encounters between migrants at the border, averaging 4,000 encounters per day. This limit may also include asylum seekers who make appointments through the CBP One app, which currently allows for approximately 1,450 appointments per day.

Migrants arriving after the border reaches a set daily threshold may be automatically expelled. This process would be similar to deportation and would make it difficult for these migrants to return to the US

This contrasts with the pandemic-era Title 42 policy, which allowed the easier return of expelled migrants.

The bipartisan bill, which had been in negotiations for several months, appeared to be on a promising path to passage when it gained the support of the National Border Patrol Council and its president, Brandon Judd, a strong Trump supporter.

However, the bill was defeated when Trump asked members to vote against it.