Judge Orders Biden to Reinstate “Remain In Mexico Policy”
A Trump-appointed judge ordered the Biden administration to reinstate the “Migrant Protection Protocols” policy, which President Biden had suspended in January of 2021. The policy requires many asylum seekers who arrive at the southern border of the U.S. to stay in Mexico while they wait for their hearing on their asylum claims. The decision is expected to be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and then potentially in front of the Supreme Court.
A Phased Plan To Lift Travel Restrictions to Include COVID Vaccination Mandate
According to White House officials, the Biden administration plans to require all foreign travelers to the U.S. be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The U.S. has issued several travel restrictions since January 2020 to curb the spread of coronavirus, but an interagency working group is aiming to have a new system ready to reopen travel, with vaccinations required for U.S. entry. White House officials didn’t say when U.S. travel restrictions will be lifted, as cases continue to increase across the country.
USCIS to Help Evacuate Afghan Allies
The Biden administration is asking USCIS employees to volunteer for assignments to evacuate tens of thousands of Afghans who aided U.S. forces. Up to 30,000 Afghans and their families are eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa, which allows them to live in the U.S. permanently.
Asylum Overhaul In The Works To Speed Up Processing
In an effort to reduce the backlog in immigration cases, the Biden administration has proposed an overhaul of the U.S. asylum system that could speed up the processing of asylum cases for migrants entering the U.S. at the southern border. According to Reuters, the government plans to hire an additional 1,000 asylum officers and 1,000 support staff. The policy is open to public comment before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalizes it.
Judge Strikes Down Biden’s ICE Directive
Another setback for the Biden administration this week: A federal judge temporarily struck down a Biden administration policy that directed border agents to focus primarily on people with criminal records who posed threats to public safety. The directive was temporarily blocked by a federal judge Thursday, who ruled that border agents should be able to arrest and detain at their discretion without pre-approval from supervisors.
Federal Judge Overturns “Discriminatory” Reentry Law
A decades-old law making it a felony to reenter the U.S. after being deported is no more, after a ruling this week in Nevada. Judge Miranda Du stated the law was unconstitutional, and said it was created with discriminatory intent. The law made it a crime for people to enter, re-enter, or try to enter the U.S. if they’d historically been denied admission to the U.S., or had been deported before.