President Biden Announces Border Crackdown Aiming To Admit at least 1.75 Million Per Year

The Biden administration announced an executive order on Tuesday to close the US-Mexico border when daily border crossings exceed 2,500 between points of entry for seven consecutive days.

This so-called “crackdown” would still permit 1.75 million new arrivals into the United States annually if effectively enforced.

Migrants are processed by Border Patrol agents after crossing the border into Jacumba Hot Springs, California.James Keivom

Expected to be implemented immediately, the order would ease border restrictions two weeks after daily crossings average 1,500 for seven consecutive days.

Senior administration officials, speaking on a background call ahead of President Biden’s announcement, scheduled for 2 p.m., outlined the new restrictions.

The Biden administration’s “crackdown” will still permit 1.75 million new arrivals into America every year.AP

Exceptions to the restrictions include migrants using the CBP One mobile application at a port of entry, lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, victims of severe trafficking, individuals facing medical emergencies or extreme threats to life and safety, and other non-citizens with valid visas or lawful permission to enter the US.

Even if migration is limited to 2,500 per day for an entire year, the total number of crossings would reach 912,500, marking a historic high for the century.

Hundreds of thousands more have entered the US through the CBP One app, with reports indicating that 450,000 migrants gained admission in the 13 months following the program’s announcement in January 2023.

Furthermore, President Biden has facilitated the entry of approximately 400,000 more migrants through a mass parole initiative, allowing Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to fly directly to America.

A previous version of the order, as per sources cited by The Post last month, aimed to limit migrant entries at ports of entry and between ports of entry to an average of 4,000 per day, totaling 1.46 million over a year.

Migrants try to cross through border barriers in El Paso, TexasJames Breeden for NY Post

This suggests that 4,000 illegal immigrants per day or 1.46 million annually would prompt Biden to take action on border security.

“Why should we wait for the country to reach a breaking point when President Biden has the power to shut down the border today?” she exclaimed.

Other Republican members of Congress dismissed Biden’s actions as a political move during an election year. They argued that he had already reversed several immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration through executive orders.

These policies included halting the construction of a border wall and ending Title 42 and Remain in Mexico policies, which significantly reduced the number of migrants at the border, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in February.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, nearly 7 million migrants have been recorded entering the country illegally, with approximately 1.7 million managing to sneak in without arrest.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that rolled back policies stemmed the flow of migrants on the southern border in by over 70%.Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

In January, Biden expressed his desire to have the power to control the border since the day he assumed office.

He stated that he had done everything he could to address the situation and called for the necessary resources, including Border Patrol agents, judges, and other personnel, to address the issue effectively.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has urged Democrats to pass new border legislation, referring to their previous efforts as the strongest border security bill in a generation, despite not receiving unanimous support from his caucus.

In 2019, former President Barack Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary stated that 1,000 illegal crossings per day would constitute an overwhelming crisis at the southern border.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.REUTERS

According to internal data from US Border Patrol, more than 10,000 migrants were in custody nationwide on Wednesday.

Additionally, US Customs and Border Protection reported that federal authorities apprehended an average of 5,990 migrants per day at the southern border in April, excluding those who managed to evade capture.

Most of the individuals arrested are issued court orders and undergo further legal proceedings.