About time someone stops Biden.
A federal judge has issued a ruling on a significant immigration policy. The rule in question allowed immigration authorities to deny asylum to migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border if they hadn’t applied online or sought protection in a country they passed through. However, the judge has temporarily blocked the rule from taking effect immediately, giving the administration time to appeal.
According to Newsmax, the ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California, removes a key enforcement tool introduced by the Biden administration when coronavirus-related restrictions on asylum expired in May. This tool, known as Title 42, enabled the U.S. to expel millions of individuals starting in early 2020, citing the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The new rule placed significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum, though it allowed for certain exceptions and did not apply to unaccompanied children. Judge Tigar’s order will come into effect after two weeks.
Groups advocating for immigrant rights filed a lawsuit against the rule, arguing that it violated U.S. law, which guarantees the right to seek asylum, regardless of how a person enters the country. These groups contended that the rule forced migrants to seek protection in countries without robust asylum systems and human rights protections, leaving them in dangerous situations. Additionally, they pointed out that the CBP One app, the government’s preferred method for processing asylum applications, had insufficient appointments and lacked support for various languages.
On the other hand, the Biden administration defended the asylum rule as an essential part of its strategy to strike a balance between strict border enforcement and providing legitimate pathways for migrants to seek asylum. The rule was introduced in response to political and economic instability in various countries, leading to a significant influx of migrants from places like Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela.
Critics argued that the rule was reminiscent of two previous efforts by President Donald Trump to limit asylum at the southern border. The Supreme Court had ultimately allowed one of these efforts, which limited asylum for those who hadn’t sought protection in a country they passed through before reaching the U.S., to go into effect. However, another Trump initiative, which aimed to restrict asylum applications to official border entry points, was mired in litigation and never took effect.
The Biden administration highlighted the complexities of immigration, noting that the situation has evolved from largely Mexican adults seeking entry to the U.S. to migrants coming from various countries across the Western Hemisphere and beyond.