Immigration advocacy organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration regarding the President’s executive orders that restrict the number of asylum seekers allowed to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
The order, aimed at fixing the “broken system of immigration,” was necessitated as Congress had not passed a bill providing funds to border agencies. This action comes at a crucial time as immigration is a top concern for many voters.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other rights groups initiated the lawsuit, arguing that the executive order would severely limit access to asylum for most new arrivals, affecting their right to counsel.
The new rules under Biden’s executive order establish a daily cap of 2,500 crossings at the border, essentially preventing thousands from entering each day, with expedited deportation measures for those who do manage to cross.
RAICES is particularly alarmed by the significantly reduced timeframe, from 48 to 4 hours, for migrants to access legal counsel, making it challenging for them to receive proper advice.
The executive order is seen as an extension of the White House’s existing anti-migrant policies, as stated by Mayorkas, who announced the policy to address individuals with invalid claims entering the U.S.
Mayorkas emphasized that most southwest border encounters have led to removal or return of individuals, with over 750,000 individuals being dealt with in the past fiscal year, the highest number since 2010.
The lawsuit challenges the new rules for going against asylum statutes passed by Congress that allow migrants to seek asylum regardless of how they entered the U.S.
A spokesperson for the Biden-Harris Administration defended the action taken within their authority to curb high border encounters, following two failed votes by Congressional Republicans on a bipartisan agreement concerning border security.
The spokesperson emphasized the administration’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws, ensuring that those without a legal basis to stay in the U.S. will face deportation.
RAICES, along with other advocacy groups, filed the lawsuit against the U.S. District Court of Washington D.C., highlighting the critical need for more resources to address the complexities of immigration law.