31 MAR 2022

MEMO: President Biden’s Plan to Manage Migration and the Border

WASHINGTON, DC - Recent reports reveal that the White House is preparing to fully revoke Title 42 over a period of two months. In March, the Biden administration exempted children and Ukrainian refugees from the Trump-era policy while keeping it in place for families and single adults, disproportionately impacting Haitians, Central Americans and other asylum seekers and refugees at the border. The policy has had devastating effects on children and families. A recent article published in New England Journal of Medicine surmised, “There is no public health evidence that singling out asylum seekers or other migrants for exclusion from the United States is effective in stemming the spread of Covid-19.” 

The Biden administration inherited a devastated immigration system, including Title 42 and its impacts. President Biden, however, has taken commendable action to roll back cruel and harmful policies of the past and implement new ones to gradually rebuild a more fair, orderly and humane immigration system. Now, by fully revoking Title 42, President Biden can continue to step up as he has on the global stage by responsibly welcoming those seeking safety and refuge right here at our own borders- as our European allies have done abroad.   

President Biden Has A Broad Strategy in Place to Manage the Border; Ready for Any Immediate Increase in Migration 

The Biden administration has a plan, with the capacity and resources, to manage migration, keep families together and ensure an orderly process at the border. No Democrat supports open borders. From investing in technology and smart border infrastructure to cracking down on cartels and human smugglers, the Biden administration is already delivering and working on solutions to manage our borders and address migration. The administration is ready for any increase in migration at the border.

The Biden administration is deploying the resources to process migrants quickly and safely, making sure families stay together and our immigration laws are enforced. Their new asylum regulation lays out a plan to reduce the backlog, create processing centers and increase reviews of cases, among other components to meet the needs at the border. 

President Biden’s plan critically addresses the root causes of migration by

  • investing in the top-sending countries to help stabilize their economies, address insecurity and support agriculture and small businesses; 

  • going after the cartels who now view humans akin to drugs in their business model

  • creating more legal options to migrate, such as employment visas, more refugee slots, and parole for children; and

  • working with countries in the region to bolster their own protection systems and to increase their own capacity to provide work visas.

Among some of the strongest components of the Biden administration’s plan are

  • increasing DHS personnel from around the country, 

  • rapidly establishing temporary processing centers,   

  • creating orderly border sector plans to reduce crowding and assess cases across the border, and 

  • launching a multi-agency response to protect both the public safety and health of all Americans and those who are seeking protection.

A Return to Normalcy: Moving Forward At The Border with A Plan

In his State of the Union address, President Biden rallied the American public with his vision and the progress made to get America back to business after two years of living with COVID. This is what the American people want: a return to normalcy. Ending Title 42 means that people have the right to ask for asylum, which is a right granted to them under U.S. and international law. Those who request asylum will be processed into the country so they can pursue their case; those who don’t request asylum or who lose their case will be removed. This is not “open borders” as Republicans would lead the American public to believe – it is regular order with a plan that is already improving the country’s asylum system after four years of being decimated.

Human smugglers and traffickers will distort and take advantage of any change in policy, including the end of Title 42. The administration has a plan to manage and mitigate any increase of migration at the border as laid out by the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, the Biden administration has already been working closely with neighboring countries in the Western Hemisphere to go after these networks and shut them down while addressing the root causes of migration. There are several factors forcing people to flee their homes and seek protection at our ports of entry. The administration is aware and moving forward solutions and investments in the region to promote economic growth, crack down on cartels and human traffickers, and create legal pathways for people to migrate without having to take the dangerous journey to our border.  

Republicans will use Title 42 to score political points. Yesterday’s press conference and two Senate Republican memos reveal that the GOP will exploit the end of Title 42 to attack President Biden and Democrats – not because they have any reasonable alternative to the policy, but rather to misinform voters and continue their “open borders” rhetoric for political gains. Republicans have made immigration a cornerstone of their midterm strategy. According to POLITICO’s recent tracking, “Immigration is by far the most popular topic in Republican campaign ads.”

Their attacks are purely political theater; they have no interest in bipartisan solutions. If Republicans in Congress were serious, they would work with Democrats to increase the number of employment and family visas so there are lawful migration options that don’t take 20 years. Congress could also fully fund USCIS to adjudicate all asylum claims at the border and reduce the court backlog. But Congress has not been able to expand legal pathways because Republicans are not interested in improving our immigration system or keeping families together.

Overall, President Biden and his administration have a decisive plan to keep families together, manage our border, restore our asylum system and strengthen legal pathways. The president’s leadership at the global stage, as he has challenged Russia and extended America’s welcome to Ukrainian refugees, has shown the world that our country has the capacity and compassion to do right by those fleeing persecution, torture or war and seeking protection at own borders.

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.