Biden’s Proposed Border Security Rule Faces Republican Criticism
President Biden’s proposed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule, which would move up “statutory bars to asylum” in the evaluation process, has drawn criticism from Republicans who claim it is an election-year move to help him in a close match with former President Trump. The proposed rule change, announced by DHS last week, would move up the assessment of security threats in the asylum process. A DHS official told Fox News Digital that the proposed rule would not change any eligibility standards but would only move the assessment of security threats up in the process.
“This rule would enable DHS to more quickly remove those who are subject to the bars and pose a risk to our national security or public safety,” read a press release from the department.
However, Republicans have slammed the move as an attempt to cover up the Biden administration’s “open border” policies, which they say have allowed migrants with links to terrorism into the country. “Biden is announcing these new rules on criminal migrants because they have released migrants with links to terrorism into America and are now scrambling to cover themselves in case we have an attack before the election,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on X, formerly Twitter.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., echoed this sentiment, saying on X, “During his first 100 days, President Biden took 94 executive actions to OPEN the border. Now, just months before an election, he finally took an obvious step that should have been taken years ago.”
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., also expressed skepticism about the timing of the rule change, saying on X: “Less than 6 months before an election, he is attempting 1 small change the narrative on our chaotic border – they already have the authority to do so much more, but they won’t.”
The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital over the criticism.
While Republicans were suspicious of the Biden administration’s motivations for the change, not every Democrat was happy with it either. An advocate for the rights of asylum-seekers, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on X: “I’m closely reviewing the Administration’s proposed rule. Concerned that moving the asylum bars to the initial credible fear interview stage risks returning legitimate asylum seekers to danger.”
“To improve the asylum system we must fully fund it and provide access to counsel,” he added.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the rule, saying in a statement that it is “yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here.”
“We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system,” Mayorkas said.
The proposal comes just months ahead of the presidential election in November, which is shaping up to be a close rematch between Biden and Trump. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is also seeking to shift attention back to the border in the legislature, where he is strongly considering reviving a border bill that nearly all Republicans opposed, per a source familiar. Several incumbent Democratic senators face significant challenges in the upcoming elections, where the party will fight to hold onto its Senate majority.
