What the Senate agreement to toughen migration to the United States says

senators from U.S published on Sunday the long-awaited agreement between the Republican and Democratic parties to impose stricter immigration and asylum laws, as well as greater border control with Mexico. If it comes to fruition, this pact will also unlock around 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine. But not everything has been said, as what was agreed could end up sinking in the Chamber of Deputies.

According to CNN, the agreement aims to enable the Government of U.S for significantly restrict crossings by undocumented immigrants on the border with Mexico. If passed, it would drastically change immigration law for the first time in decades. The entire legislative package totals $118.2 billion.

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In a first reaction, the president Joe Biden He said on Sunday that the pact provides for “a new emergency authority to close the border” between the United States and Mexico when “it collapses.”

“This would give me, as president, new emergency authority to close the border when it becomes overwhelmed.”said the president.

US President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at the Pearson Community Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 4, 2024. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP). (SAUL LOEB/)

Since late last year, Republicans in House of Representatives They blocked an aid package for Ukraine for around 60 billion dollars. They don’t want to give the new game the green light before Biden does not strengthen immigration controls at the border. This entire discussion takes place in the context of the electoral campaign for the presidential elections in November this year in U.Swhere the Democrat will seek reelection and likely face donald trump.

These are the key points of the agreement:

US President Joe Biden (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enter the room to hold a press conference at the White House on December 12, 2023. (EFE/EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS).

The proposal of the senators allocates more than $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine14 billion dollars for Israel and 4.8 billion for Taiwan. Additionally, $10 billion for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other places. Another 20 billion dollars will be allocated to border security with Mexico.

The money that will be allocated immigration authorities will be used to hire thousands of officers who will be tasked with evaluating the asylum requests. Additionally, there will be hundreds of new agents from Border Patrol which will help stop the flow of fentanyl who enters the country through crossings with Mexico.

A group of migrants are processed by the Border Patrol after crossing without documents in Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 4, 2024. (Photo SERGIO FLORES/AFP). (SÉRGIO FLORES/)

The agreement will seriously reduce the scope of right to asylum which is managed in border between the United States and Mexicosomething that if approved will end a protocol that has lasted decades.

Thus, the proposal raises the bar for migrants to qualify for apply for asylum and increases the ability to detain and deport them if necessary.

The Senate agreement will accelerate the asylum process qualify cases within six months, compared to the current system under which asylum seekers can wait up to 10 years for a decision, CNN notes. It would also make it more difficult for immigrants to prove they are eligible to receive asylum.

Those who do not qualify for asylum will be quickly deported.

“We’re not going to have more people coming into the country and maybe going to court in the next 7 or 10 years,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Republican who was part of the negotiations with Democrats, said on Face The Nation. CBS.

“Instead, we will bring justice quickly. People who qualify for asylum will have a fast track (six months or less) to starting a new life in the United States. And those who do not meet the requirements will be quickly returned to their countries of origin,” noted Sinema.

Migrants wait near a border fence under surveillance by the Texas National Guard, United States, on May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrés Leighton). (Andrés Leighton/)

The agreement will give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the possibility of cracking down on mass border crossings.

Border crossings could be restricted if the daily average of migrants reaches 4,000 in a week.

Furthermore, authorities will have the power to prohibit crossings if they exceed an average of 5,000 per day over a period of seven consecutive days or 8,500 in a single day.

Once the measure was activated, the secretary of DHS could decide whether to broadly ban migrants from seeking asylum if they cross the border illegally, a source told CNN.

The North American press recalled that border encounters exceeded 10,000 on some days in December last year.

Migration on the United States – Mexico border. (AFP).

Univision highlighted that this policy is similar to the one the president used for the first time. Donald Trump applying so-called Title 42with which he quickly expelled immigrants in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.

But if migrants facing expulsion tell immigration authorities Border Patrol that there is a credible fear that they could be persecuted if they return Mexicothey could still be allowed to apply asylum.

Through what is called humanitarian parolePeople outside the United States may request temporary permission to remain in the country for urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit.

If the agreement is approved, Univision indicates that limits will be imposed on this humanitarian parole.

Migrants forced to spend days and nights on the streets due to overcrowding in shelters in El Paso, Texas, on December 21, 2022. (Photo by Allison Dinner/AFP) (ALLISON DINNER/)

The agreement allocates $1.4 billion to shelter-related programs, which have been overwhelmed in recent times due to the massive influx of migrants. What is more, The granting of work authorizations will be accelerated for migrants who are already in the United States waiting for their asylum request to be resolved.

The pact would also authorize sanctions and tools to combat money laundering by criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl.

Additionally, it will provide 50,000 visas for employment and family immigration every year for the next five years.

The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, speaks to journalists on January 17, 2024. (Photo by SAÚL LOEB/AFP). (SAUL LOEB/)

The Democratic majority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumerannounced on Sunday that the agreement will be put to a first vote this Wednesday.

It is unclear whether it will have the support to pass the Senatewhere at least 60 votes are needed for it to be final.

Where it is very difficult to be approved is in House of Representatives, dominated by the Republican Party. On Sunday, its president michael johnsonRepublican from Louisiana, said the pact “Born dead”. He considered it did not go far enough to stop illegal immigration.

“It is even worse than we expected and will not put an end to the border catastrophe” that President Biden “created,” he said.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump raises his fist while speaking at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, January 19, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP). (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/)

Meanwhile, this Monday donald trump he appeared to bury the deal by calling on Republicans to vote it down.

“Only an idiot, or a radical left Democrat, would vote for this horrible border bill that only gives closure authority after 5,000 interceptions per day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done” , he said. trump on your Truth Social network.

“Do not be stupid!!! “We need a standalone border and immigration bill,” he said. trump in your message.

Source: Elcomercio