According to Biden, when someone crosses the southern border “between ports of entry”, it is considered an illegal crossing.
Over a period of seven days, the average daily figure of 2,500 will be taken into account for the new policy. However, if the daily average over seven days is below 2,500, then the policy will not be applicable.
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“These actions will be in effect when high levels of encounters at the southern border exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences,” the White House tweeted.
The policy change “will make it easier for immigration officers to remove those without a lawful basis to remain and reduce the burden on our border patrol agents,” according to the statement.
Biden’s executive order suspends the admission of non-citizens who illegally cross the southern border and facilitates the removal of individuals who cross during periods of border congestion, as well as migrants who lack a legal basis to remain in the United States.
Biden describes an illegal crossing as one that occurs “between ports of entry” on the southern border.
The 2,500 figure represents the daily average over seven days. If the daily average over seven days is less than 2,500, the new policy will not apply.
“We will discontinue the executive order limiting illegal daily crossings to 2,500 when the number of migrants crossing the border between ports of entry is low enough for America’s system to safely and effectively manage border operations.”
Officials added that they will make humanitarian exceptions, including for unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking.
“We are and will continue to look at all options to try and really deal with the immigration system, which has been broken for decades,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday.
The White House also announced new initiatives aimed at expediting immigration cases.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have established a “recent arrivals docket” for migrants who illegally crossed the southern border between specified ports of entry.
The recent arrivals docket expedites the removal process for persons who do not have a legal right to be in the United States while safeguarding those who do.
The Department of State also placed visa restrictions on many CEOs of Colombian transportation companies that profit from delivering people to the United States by sea routes.
The State Department also revoked the visas of over 250 Nicaraguan government officials, private persons, and their immediate family members for supporting the Ortega-Murillo regime, which sells transit visas to migrants headed to the United States’ southern border.
Biden’s executive action comes a day after U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities reported an increase in injuries and deaths among migrants due to heat and dehydration as summer approaches, with temperatures recently exceeding 100 degrees in the El Paso, Texas, sector.
Border Patrol agents reacted to several incidents involving migrants suffering from “severe heat-related illnesses,” which resulted in four deaths over the weekend.
Biden’s executive moves come as he works to improve his chances of reelection in the general election on November 5.
According to Real Clear Polling, 62.8% of registered or potential voters surveyed disagreed with Biden’s handling of immigration, while 33.4% agreed, for a 29.4% difference.
