The U.S.-Made Border Crisis

[smix]

The U.S.-Made Border Crisis
Wall Street Journal

URL: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-s-ma ... 1616360858
Category: Politics
Published: March 21, 2021

Description: Biden’s policies have increased the incentive for unaccompanied children to enter the U.S. illegally.
‘The border is closed,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” though everyone knows it isn’t. Mr. Mayorkas is finally trying to send a message that migrants shouldn’t flood the border, but the Biden Administration isn’t changing the policy incentives that encourage them to arrive. Mr. Mayorkas blames the Trump Administration for having “gutted” and “completely dismantled the asylum system.” It’s true Donald Trump’s immigration policies left much to be desired. His rhetoric often demonized immigrants, and his policies created new barriers for those who wanted to enter lawfully. Yet the asylum system was broken long before Mr. Trump took office, and President Biden has made it worse. Under current law, migrants can seek asylum even if they cross the border unlawfully. It takes years to adjudicate an asylum case, and many migrants never show up in court. The federal government limits visas for temporary guest workers, but migrants know they can seek legal permission to work in the U.S. half a year after they file their asylum application. Mr. Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols sought to reduce the appeal by requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while the immigration courts adjudicated their cases, but Mr. Biden is phasing out that policy. His Administration is using a Covid emergency provision to deport adults claiming asylum. But it has exempted children who set foot in the U.S., so parents send their children to enter and then stay with relatives. Mr. Mayorkas says more than 80% of unaccompanied children have a family member in the U.S. Congress could fix much of the problem by eliminating loopholes in the asylum system while expanding opportunities for migrant workers to enter the U.S. legally. But Democrats refuse to consider either policy change. Until they do, expect more trouble at the border.