President Biden's new executive order will allow him to limit asylum claims at the Southwest border dramatically, granting himself the power that congressional Republicans twice have denied him, Axios reports. Five months before the election, Biden is determined to neutralize what could be his biggest political vulnerability against former President Trump: immigration. He's using the power of the presidency to stare down his critics in Congress, confident that voters want to see action — not just rhetoric — on the border. Biden is willing to risk a defeat in the courts and anger from his party's progressive base for taking the dramatic action without the $14 billion the White House argued was necessary for a lasting solution.
The order will allow border officials to turn back migrants rapidly — without giving them a chance at asylum — when illegal border crossings reach an average of 2,500 a day. There have been an average of 3,700 illegal crossings a day over the last three weeks, so the order could go into effect immediately. Crossings between legal ports of entry actually have plummeted from December's record high of 250,000 encounters and have remained relatively stable ever since. U.S. officials largely credit stepped-up enforcement by Mexico. The timing of Biden's order is likely guided by several factors — some on the ground, others political.