In a bold move to address immigration challenges, President Biden is set to unveil an executive order that will dramatically limit asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border, triggering immediate closures when daily encounters exceed 2,500.
Top Points
1. President Biden plans to sign an executive order closing asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border when daily encounters exceed 2,500, with reopening when numbers fall below 1,500.
2. The executive order is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday, with several border mayors invited to the event.
3. Biden's decision follows months of deliberation and failed bipartisan legislation due to Republican opposition, despite a decline in illegal border crossings.
The White House is informing lawmakers that President Joe Biden is preparing to sign an executive order to close asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border when daily encounters exceed 2,500 between ports of entry. The border would reopen once that number declines to 1,500, according to several sources familiar with the discussions.
This 2,500 threshold means the border could be closed to migrants seeking asylum immediately, as current daily figures are higher. Biden, a Democrat, is expected to announce these actions at a White House event on Tuesday, to which border mayors have been invited.
Five sources confirmed the 2,500 figure, and two confirmed the 1,500 number, both as daily averages over a week. All insisted on anonymity to discuss the pending executive order. Other border activities, such as trade, are expected to continue.
Senior White House officials have briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the planned order ahead of its formal rollout. Biden has been considering this action after bipartisan legislation to tighten asylum rules collapsed due to Republican defections urged by former President Donald Trump. Despite a recent decline in illegal crossings, partly due to increased efforts by Mexico, Biden continued to consider executive action.
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