United States: The Biden administration is in a frenzied push to seal an urgent aid deal for Ukraine while grappling with a contentious debate over border regulations. Negotiations are underway to impose restrictions on asylum claims and hasten the process of deportations, igniting worries and prompting protests at the Capitol.
In the United States, top officials of the Biden administration worked vigorously on Wednesday to finalize an eleventh-hour agreement for crucial aid to Ukraine. This involved accommodating Senate Republicans’ requests to bolster border regulations along the US-Mexico border in a bid to curtail migrant crossings.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, geared up to resume negotiations with Senate representatives amidst mounting concerns from immigration groups and certain members within President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party. There were plans for demonstrations at the Capitol as fears surfaced regarding the adoption of measures akin to the restrictive policies of the Trump era, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Urgency of the situation
With Congress on the brink of adjournment scheduled for Thursday, the time window for reaching an accord on Biden’s $110 billion proposal for Ukraine, Israel, and national security imperatives was rapidly diminishing. Despite the pressing deadline, a sense of optimism persisted as White House officials and key Senate negotiators fine-tuned the objectives pertaining to border reinforcement and expediting the removal of recent migrants within the US.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressing the challenges ahead, remarked in a Wednesday floor speech, “This is difficult, very difficult. But we’re sent here to do difficult things.”
Several sources familiar with the closed-door discussions disclosed that among the serious proposals being considered are plans to empower Homeland Security officials to halt asylum applications at the US southern border if the daily influx exceeds the capacity of approximately 5,000 migrants. On multiple occasions this year, daily migrant totals have exceeded 10,000.
Additionally, there were talks about detaining asylum seekers alongside their families, possibly employing electronic monitoring systems, as mentioned by AP.
Negotiators were exploring avenues to enable authorities to deport migrants present in the US for less than two years, even if they were residing far from the border. Notably, this would apply to individuals who hadn’t sought asylum or were denied entry into the asylum system.
The proposed restrictions echo measures previously suggested by President Donald Trump‘s administration to curb border crossings, many of which faced legal challenges. If passed by Congress, these limitations on refugee seekers could be legally unassailable, leaving immigration advocates with limited recourse.
Mixed responses and Capitol protests
Immigrant advocates, intending to stage demonstrations throughout the Capitol on Wednesday, raised concerns about a potential resurgence of anti-immigrant policies and questioned the efficacy of these measures in addressing border challenges.
Maribel Hernández Rivera, the American Civil Liberties Union director of policy and government affairs, expressed disbelief, stating, “I would never have imagined that in a moment where we have a Democratic Senate and a Democratic White House, we are coming to the table and proposing some of the most draconian immigration policies that there have ever been.”
Amid Senate deliberations, some consensus emerged on lowering the threshold for asylum applicants during initial credible fear assessments.
Even if an agreement is brokered and passes in the Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a Republican, would need to navigate the measure through his chamber, where resistance from both parties is anticipated. Conservatives argue that the Senate’s propositions fall short, while progressive Democrats and Hispanic senators oppose restrictions on asylum access.
Earlier this week, many members of Congress had anticipated the improbability of reaching an agreement before the holiday recess. Even after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s appeal to lawmakers for support against Russia’s invasion, pessimism lingered, according to the Associated Press report.
Despite the challenges, Mayorkas engaged in a two-hour meeting with key Senate negotiators on Tuesday, fostering a renewed sense of confidence among legislators.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, leading the negotiations for Democrats, conveyed, “We have a group that can finalize this deal if everybody is ready to close.”