The Democratic President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that the possibility of requesting asylum "will continue to be available" for those who seek to legally immigrate to the United States and schedule an interview at a port of entry through the CBP One application.
"Migrants will not be able to receive asylum at our southern border unless they request it after entering (the country) through an established legal process. Those seeking to come legally to the United States, for example by making an appointment (through CBP One) and arriving at a port of entry, asylum will continue to be available," Biden stated from the White House, in a speech during which he was flanked by a bipartisan group of mayors from border cities.
"But if the individual chooses not to use our legal pathways, chooses to come without permission and against the law, they will be restricted from receiving asylum," he emphasized.
The announcement is part of a group of measures reported on Tuesday that will allow the president to deny asylum requests from those who cross irregularly into the USA.
It will also facilitate the closure of the border with Mexico when the volume of arrivals exceeds the processing capacity at entry points.
However, those who arrive legally with an appointment obtained through the CBP One application will be able to request this benefit, clarified.
"This ban will remain in effect until the number of people attempting to enter illegally is reduced to a level that our system can effectively manage," she emphasized.
The measures will make it easier for immigration officials to deport those migrants who do not have a legal basis to stay in the United States. Another goal is to reduce the burden on Border Patrol agents, he pointed out.
The Democratic president strongly criticized the Republican caucus in Congress, which has rejected a proposal for immigration reform agreed upon by lawmakers from both parties.
"I am leaving behind the Republican obstruction and I am using executive authority (...) to do whatever I can on my own to address border management," the president said.
Likewise, he lashed out against his likely opponent in the race for the presidency, Donald Trump, and his Republican allies in Congress, considering that they are the ones who "do not want to fix" the immigration issue and want to use it to attack him.
"We continue working closely with our Mexican neighbors, instead of attacking them. And it has worked. We have built a solid partnership of trust with Mexican President (Andrés Manuel) López Obrador, and I am going to do the same with the president-elect of Mexico, whom I spoke to yesterday," he explained.
He assured that he will not demonize migrants, and asked for patience and trust from Americans in his management of the immigration issue.
"I am not going to separate children from their families," Biden promised.
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