Biden to gradually allow 25,000 asylum-seekers to the US [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that it would permit 25,000 asylum-seekers from Mexico to live in the US.
• The DHS will be working with international organizations in Mexico to identify the most deserving candidates and take them to the US.
• Since February 2019, over 1,300 asylum-seekers have either been attacked, raped or kidnapped in Mexico.

The White House announced on Friday that around 25,000 asylum-seekers would be given a chance to live in the US as they wait for their cases’ ruling.

“We are working as quickly as we can get to get this off the ground,” the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said.

Starting on February 19, the Department of Homeland Security will be teaming up with international organizations in Mexico to know the most vulnerable individuals and bring them to the US. They will be required to get tested for COVID-19 as the goal is to process at least 300 cases per day, per DHS officials.

The seekers will be allowed to enter the country while being tracked, just so they could live with their families. The ruling for their cases would be heard at the nearest venue of their address.

DHS authorities said that only a few ports of entry would process asylum seekers to check whether such capacity could be carried out safely amid the pandemic.

“This is an important part of our President Biden’s commitment to restoring humane and orderly processing at the border,” DHS officials told reporters. 

“And that means to start asylum proceedings and allow people access to asylum proceedings in the United States for people who have been too long kept in Mexico and been unable to pursue their cases.”

Currently, asylum seekers on the border are still subject to former President Donald Trump’s policy. They would have to wait for all the more as the US is still largely dealing with the pandemic.

“This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nation’s values,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement, as the new administration aimed to demolish former President Donald Trump’s policy. 

“Especially at the border, however, where capacity constraints remain serious, changes will take time.”

Mexico has been a high-risk nation for people who came from other areas after escaping poverty and violence. According to Human Rights First, more than 1,300 asylum seekers who got stuck were either assaulted, kidnapped, or raped since February 2019.

Source: Business Insider