WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2021) The Biden administration has proposed a plan to make the asylum processing at the US borders swifter and more efficient, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Wednesday.
"In a key step toward implementing the administration's blueprint for a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) are publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend current regulations to improve the processing of asylum claims," the statement said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in the statement that the proposed changes will significantly improve the US government' ability to more promptly and efficiently consider asylum claims.
"Individuals who are eligible will receive relief more swiftly, while those who are not eligible will be expeditiously removed. We are building an immigration system that is designed to ensure due process, respect human dignity, and promote equity," he said.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland added the move is a step closer to making the asylum process fairer.
"This rule will both reduce the caseload in our immigration courts and protect the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence," Garland said.
Illegal crossings on the US southern border have hit a 20-year high under the Joe Biden administration, with another record-setting month in July, which saw about 212,000 migrant encounters, according to the Customers and Border Patrol. The total number of apprehensions in the region since October - the beginning of the US government's fiscal year - has now surpassed 1.3 million.
