Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has released a statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security-Department of Justice joint final rule, which follows the joint interim final rule issued in June. This new rule continues to limit asylum eligibility and significantly increases timely consequences for those who cross illegally at the southern border without a legal basis to remain in the United States.
“In June, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive action to strengthen our nation’s border security and deter irregular migration. That decisive action – the President’s Proclamation and the Departments’ joint interim final rule that implemented it – has been delivering results: illegal crossings at our southern border have dropped by more than 55 percent," said Mayorkas. "The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice have now finalized the rule, which implements the President’s updated Proclamation."
Mayorkas emphasized that this action aligns with other administrative measures aimed at increasing enforcement while providing safe and lawful pathways for asylum seekers. He noted, "In the past year, total removals and returns of people crossing illegally have exceeded the number of removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010."
He also highlighted international cooperation efforts to combat smuggling organizations and enhance enforcement measures, adding that these initiatives aim to make irregular migration more difficult while offering humanitarian relief to those in need.
Despite these efforts, Mayorkas stressed that comprehensive changes require Congressional action. “We cannot provide the greater and more enduring systemic changes that America’s broken immigration system desperately needs because only Congress can do that," he stated. "Nor can we provide the Department of Homeland Security and other departments responsible for administering our nation’s immigration system with the personnel, resources, and tools needed to fully meet today’s border security challenges; Congress must do that.”
Mayorkas mentioned previous bipartisan legislative efforts earlier this year aimed at enhancing border security measures, including funding for additional Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Protection officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, asylum officers, and detention beds. He urged Congress to pass a bipartisan border security bill to sustain and build on the progress made by the Biden-Harris Administration.
