The lowest number of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in nearly four years could prompt President Joe Biden to ease an executive action he signed in June, the Washington Examiner reported.
The executive order, signed after six months of diplomatic talks with Mexico, barred migrants intercepted by federal police not at a port of entry from seeking asylum.
Thus, the order primarily affected people who walk or swim across the southern border.
The apparent impact was seen in July, when approximately 57,000 migrants were apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol along the border, according to federal data shared with the Examiner.
That's the lowest number of arrested migrants at the border since September 2020, when 54,771 people were arrested, and less than 25% of the 250,000 seen in December 2023.
Unlawful crossings by migrants along the border also dropped for the fifth consecutive month in July, CBS News reported.
"About 12,000 [arrests] total last 7 days so it's super slow right now. I'd imagine they could lift the proclamation if it continues to drop," wrote a senior Border Patrol official in a text message, the Examiner reported.
The reduction of migrant arrests has created talk of easing Biden's executive order.
"The Biden administration's June 5, 2024 asylum restriction rule states that, should the weekly average of migrant apprehensions drop below 1,500 per day for 3 weeks, and should the average remain below 2,500, then U.S. border authorities will no longer automatically deny asylum access to people who cross between ports of entry to ask for protection," Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight for human rights group WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America), wrote in a July 26 newsletter.
Not everyone is solely crediting the executive order for the reduced number of migrant arrests.
"I think it's a combination of several things. Hard rhetoric always seems to be a factor, which is what the proclamation was," a senior Border Patrol official told the Examiner.
Isacson warned that although the lower number of border arrests could benefit Democrats before November's election, it has failed to address the demand for help from migrants outside the U.S.
"While the reduced numbers create political space for Democratic candidates as the 2024 election nears, putting asylum out of reach does place some fleeing migrants in danger," Isacson wrote.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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