Migrants from the southern border face hard times gaining citizenship through visas and green cards– a major issue in U.S. immigration. Last month, President Joe Biden announced his new immigration program to accept 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This will allow them to enter the country and work legally for up to two years. 

However, the Biden Administration stated it would deny migrants from these countries the chance to apply for asylum if they cross the border without authorization. 

As part of the program, the Biden Administration began utilizing an emergency health mandate known as Title 42. This law grants federal authorities the power to deny entry of people and products into the U.S. The reason for this is due to migrants that might attempt to illegally enter the country, although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated the number of times migrants caught illegally crossing the border has fallen by 97 percent from early December of 2022. Expanding further its use of Title 42, the Biden Administration also made legal pathways for individuals from those countries, allowing two-year humanitarian parole to the United States. 

“These expanded border enforcement measures are working,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said, one day after 20 Republican states filed a lawsuit against the new pathways, calling them “a new visa program that allows hundreds of thousands of aliens to enter the United States who otherwise have no basis for doing so.”

The lawsuit argues that the program is illegal and that parole power availability in the federal government is limited. They say the authority is to be used on a case-by-case basis for significant public benefits. 

Mayorkas disagrees and says how incomprehensible it is that some states seek to block enforcement measures that benefit us, potentially causing disruption at the southern border. He also mentioned that he would like to stop migrants from making dangerous journeys to the U.S., as they may encounter smugglers and have to cross through jungles. The potential to be denied if one does not apply through the official process may result in fewer attempts of illegal migration. 

Biden referenced a plan he put forth in the early days of his presidency that would repair the “broken immigration system.” This includes a policy to crack down on illegal immigration and protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary protection from deportation to certain undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In addition, the Biden Administration is working to provide resources such as personnel, transportation and medical support to border officials. 

Since Jan. 5, the Biden Administration has approved 1,700 migrants for parole through its U.S. Immigration program while thousands more are awaiting travel to the United States. This new policy may reshape how America handles immigration and provide better lives for those who come seeking refuge from their home countries.