President Biden’s executive order activating temporary suspension of some asylum processing along with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) policies reduced Southwest border encounters by over half. The Border Patrol reports a drop in the 7-day average to below 1,900 per day. In June, Border Patrol reported over 83,500 encounters between ports of entry. This is the lowest number since January 2021, during the pandemic. It is also lower than June 2019, the most comparable period prior to the pandemic.

While the executive order addresses illegal crossings, true immigration reform is needed. The President calls on Congress to provide needed resources and durable authority beyond the Presidential Proclamation. Previous proposals provided funding to add 1,500 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agents and Officers, additional 1,200 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, 4,300 asylum officers, and in investment in technology. These resources are still needed.

Below are some key metrics outlining the effect of the policies:

  • Since the Biden administration policies have been in effect, over 50,000 individuals have been returned to over 100 countries. This includes 175 international repatriation flights.
  • DHS doubled the percentage of noncitizens returned or removed from CBP custody.
  • Expedited removal percentages have also doubled, already reaching a record high prior to the policies taking effect.
  • There has been a drop of 70% in the number of people released pending removal proceedings.
  • ICE is optimizing repatriation flights taking place weekly.

Individuals removed from the U.S. include people from Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Senegal, China, and India, among others. Additional removal flights are planned.

Asylum processing suspension will be removed when encounters meet the required threshold. However, if an increase is again seen, the suspension will again be activated. Individuals who use the CBP One app to schedule appointments remain eligible for asylum. A total of 1,450 appointments are available per day at eight different land ports of entry. The app requires individuals to submit information that is key to complete screening and vetting, further streamlining the process.

The majority of southwest border crossings resulted in remove, return or expulsion in the past three fiscal years. In total, DHS removed or returned over 740,000 individuals in the year following the end of the Title 42 pandemic-era policy. This is more than any year since 2010.

If you have questions about an asylum claim or any other U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Our team works directly with our clients to ensure they get the right advice for their particular situations.

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