(PatriotNewsDaily.com) – The Biden administration has introduced measures to speed up the asylum process for migrants arriving illegally and heading to five major U.S. cities.
During a recent announcement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland introduced the Recent Arrivals (RA) Docket, aimed at expediting the legal proceedings for single adult illegal immigrants in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Under this new system, asylum claims are to be processed within 180 days, with allowances for extensions in certain cases to secure legal representation.
As of last December, the U.S. had over 3 million pending asylum cases, with many applicants facing extended waits—sometimes years—to resolve their claims. This backlog was highlighted by the fact that some migrants were assigned court dates as far off as 2032 after a treacherous crossing from Mexico into Texas.
Mark Green, the House Homeland Security Committee chairman, criticized the initiative, labeling it as an ineffective bureaucratic creation that does not substitute for enforcing existing laws. He argued that the program would continue to allow the release of many migrants who should not be admitted, with “removal proceedings” often not leading to actual deportations.
Green also pointed out that the non-detained docket under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has doubled over the past three years, a trend he attributes to the administration’s failure to adhere to laws mandating the detention and removal of illegal entrants.
As the 2024 election approaches, immigration remains a critical issue among U.S. voters, with many viewing it as a weak point for President Biden against potential opponent Donald Trump. Despite a Senate failure to pass a bipartisan border bill that would have included similar provisions to the RA Docket, Secretary Mayorkas emphasized the administration’s commitment to managing the situation as effectively as possible without legislative action.
Meanwhile, House Republicans have continued to urge the reinstatement of the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their court dates. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced intentions to revisit the border bill, a move immediately criticized by Senator James Lankford as a “political stunt,” urging a genuine bipartisan effort to address immigration reform.
Border Patrol data reveals that more than 1.7 million migrants have eluded capture while crossing into the U.S. since Biden’s inauguration, in addition to over 9 million others who have entered during the same period. These figures set new records for border crossings each year of Biden’s presidency, with over 85% of those apprehended released back into the U.S. to await their court dates, a fact acknowledged by Mayorkas in a private meeting with Border Patrol staff earlier in the year.
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