Biden order curbs access to asylum for migrants

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at blocking migrants' access to the United States' asylum system during periods of high illegal border crossings, a move seen as an effort to address one of his biggest vulnerabilities for reelection in November.

Democrats have expressed concern for months that a potential summer migration surge could overwhelm the Border Patrol and negatively affect Biden's chances against former president Donald Trump, who faced Republican voters for the first time as a convicted felon on Tuesday during the final state primaries for the 2024 presidential nomination.

Trump has already locked up the nomination to run against Biden, making the votes in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota formalities, while Biden won Democratic primaries in New Mexico, South Dakota, New Jersey, Montana and Washington, DC.

Biden used executive authority to impose broad restrictions, which will be in effect if illegal entries remain above an average of 2,500 per day, The Washington Post reported.

During a White House news conference on Tuesday, Biden said asylum access would still be available to migrants who have registered for an appointment using the CBP One app or utilized other legal pathways instead of crossing illegally.

"This ban will remain in effect until the number of individuals attempting to enter illegally is reduced to a level that our system can effectively manage," Biden said.

Thousands of arrests a day

In April, US border arrests averaged 4,300 per day, according to government statistics. The ban will be temporarily lifted when arrests decrease below an average of 1,500 per day for three consecutive weeks. The last time crossings reached that level was during the early months of the pandemic in July 2020, coinciding with record lows in global travel.

Since Biden took office, Mexican authorities have agreed to accept large numbers of non-Mexican border crossers deemed ineligible for US asylum. During Biden's administration, more than 6.4 million migrants have been apprehended while attempting to cross into the US illegally.

White House officials said Tuesday's measures serve as a temporary solution because of the repeated failure of a bipartisan bill this year. The bill would have combined the asylum cap with additional funding for immigration enforcement, but it faced opposition from both parties.

Republicans, including Trump, were against the bill, citing concerns about its potential effect on the upcoming election year.

Texas Senator John Cornyn and other Republicans criticized Biden's new policy as a political stratagem to appeal to voters before the presidential election.

"The simple fact of the matter is that the same laws that were in effect back when president Trump was in office are still in effect, but the difference is the unwillingness of this White House and this administration simply to enforce the law," Cornyn said.

Agencies contributed to this story.