Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Biden administration will announce a new rule that will speed up deportations and asylum processing at the U.S. Mexico border. This is in response to a record-breaking number of immigrants seeking entry to the United States.

This announcement is made as U.S. officials debate whether to repeal a COVID-era policy which has prevented most asylum applications from the border. If the COVID order was ended, then this new rule may allow for faster processing of border crossings.

Final asylum rules, set to go into effect late May/early June, will allow asylum officers to approve or deny protection claims from migrants as soon as they cross the border. This will bypass backlog U.S immigration courts, where cases can take many years.

Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration claims that the asylum overhaul will be a humane solution to the growing number of illegal border crossings. This has prompted attacks by Republicans who want to control Congress during the November midterm elections.

The majority of migrants who cross the border to southwest Mexico are from Central America and Mexico. However, more people are coming from further places, seeking shelter, such as from Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia. This is a move that Moscow refers to as a “special military action.”

The new rule is jointly issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice. It will allow more immigrants, as well as their families to be subject to an expedited removal process that allows them to get cases resolved more quickly. This will not apply for unaccompanied children.

Alejandro Mayorkas (Homeland Security Secretary) stated that the current system of handling asylum claims at borders needs to be improved.

Immigrant rights advocates are against the fast track process. It aims at processing cases within 90 day. However, they fear it could lead to further deportations. These cases, which will be heard by an immigration judge again to deny asylum seekers, will also go through expedited proceedings with the goal of being resolved within 90 days.

U.S. An official from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who briefed journalists on Wednesday said, under duress, that the new system will gradually be implemented and first be limited to certain migrants.

An earlier draft of the measure by the Biden administration indicated that the government expected to have to hire approximately 2000 additional asylum officers or support personnel. That would nearly double the amount currently working.

Reporters were not provided with details by the USCIS representative who briefed them.

Title 42 is a controversial order which Biden has maintained. This was created by Donald Trump’s Republican predecessor. The Title 42 order allows U.S. authorities quickly to expel any migrants crossing to Mexico from other countries. This is to prevent COVID-19 spreading.

In the light of recent court decisions, which have complicated its implementation, the Biden administration leans toward ending it. But, there has not been a final decision with next week’s deadline to modify, renew or terminate it.