“The Stick Is Much Bigger Than the Carrot” in Biden’s New Border Plan – By Isabela Dias (Mother Jones) / Jan 6, 2023
They might even try to revive the transit ban from Trump’s anti-immigrant hardliner Stephen Miller.
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On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced new and stricter border enforcement measures that include the expansion of a Trump-era policy to summarily expel migrants and further restrict asylum seekers’ ability to seek protection at the border. In order to “increase security at the border and reduce the number of individuals crossing unlawfully between ports of entry,” the administration will use the public health order known as Title 42 to turn away not only Venezuelan migrants, but also nationals from Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua. At the same time, a parole process will enable a limited number of people from these four countries to apply from abroad to enter the United States. As long as they have a sponsor to vouch for them and pass background checks, they would be allowed to stay and work in the country for a period of two years.
“If you’re trying to leave Cuba, Nicaragua, or Haiti, or have agreed to begin a journey to America, do not just show up at the border,” President Biden said. “Stay where you are and apply legally from there.”
Under the proposed plan, 30,000 migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua would be eligible for parole each month. An agreement with the Mexican government will also facilitate a capped monthly return of 30,000 nationals of these countries to Mexico. (Previously, Mexico only consented to the return of its citizens and migrants from Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.) The Department of Homeland Security would also direct more resources towards border enforcement, efforts to counter smuggling, and increasing the use of fast-track deportations, while also boosting refugee resettlement from Latin America and the Caribbean.
