Amid a large influx of migrants trying to enter the U.S., President Joe Biden announced a visit to the southern border Sunday, as well as a stricter plan for allowing immigrants into the country.
What is President Biden’s new immigration program?
Biden’s program would “accept up to 30,000 migrants per month” from countries where the largest number of immigrants are trying to seek asylum in the U.S. due to war and oppression. Those countries include Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, CNN reported.
In November, there were more than 82,000 migrants from those four countries who attempted to get into the U.S. illegally, The New York Times reported.
“It’s important to step back and see the bigger picture,” Biden said, per CNN. He believes the process will be “orderly, safe and humane.”
He also announced plans to crack down on illegal border crossings that have spiked since the status of Title 42 was in question, according to The Associated Press. Title 42 was a law implemented during former President Donald Trump’s presidency in 2020 that banned migrants from coming into the U.S. as a COVID-19 precaution.
“Do not, do not just show up at the border,” he said during the announcement. “Stay where you are and apply legally from there.”
What opposition has Biden’s immigration plan received?
Immigration advocates have criticized the new policy and denounced the new restrictions as a means to keep out people who don’t have the means, money or connections to escape the violence in their home countries.
“This benefit will exclude migrants fleeing violence and persecution who do not have the ability or economic means to qualify,” Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey told The New York Times.