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Biden closes southern border to asylum seekers

Biden closes southern border to asylum seekers

Joe Biden has announced an executive order to “gain control” of the US-Mexico border. The order will – in theory – mean that migrants who cross illegally will be deported or returned to Mexico if daily numbers hit 2,500. That’s not hard these days – in April US border arrests reached 4,300 a day on average. The asylum ban would hold until daily arrests fall below 1,500. It’s Biden’s toughest action yet on the border, after a bipartisan border plan was rejected by Republicans in the Senate (on Trump’s orders). To note: it will likely get caught in the courts and unanswered questions include how many migrants Mexico will accept back under new president Claudia Sheinbaum, who takes office in October. But this is about politics, not policy.


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