Biden’s Plan for Asylum Seekers Is a Recipe for Harm and Injustice

## The Biden Administration’s unsuccessful approach to asylum seekers

The end of the Title 42 policy on May 11 has been the center of media attention, with claims of chaos and a lack of order at the United States’ southern border. However, the reality is quite different. Instead of investing in creating a humane, rights-respecting process at the border, the Biden administration weakened US asylum laws and violated the rights of people seeking protection.

Under the Biden administration’s post-Title 42 policies, asylum seekers’ access to safety depends entirely on their ability to secure one of an extremely limited number of appointments available exclusively through a phone app, which is inaccessible to many and plagued with deficiencies. What’s more, those who enter the country illegally will be subject to expedited removal. People who traverse through third countries without requesting asylum there will be unfairly barred from asylum in the US. The new rule will speed up credible fear interviews while people are locked up.

These unfavorable circumstances will make it nearly impossible for people to find safety or reunite with their families in the US. It is most troubling that people unable to secure appointments will probably end up crossing unsafe border regions, and the number of people dying, including women and children, will likely rise under Biden’s policies. Last year, a record number of over 850 migrant remains were found in these areas.

## Missed Opportunities and Possible Solutions

The Biden administration had more than two years to plan for the policy’s end, but the administration’s approach missed the mark. Rather than investing in a group of experts to create right-respecting reception centers, near and border stations, staffed by asylum officers, trauma specialists, health professionals, and more, they squandered the opportunity. Instead, they continue to spend millions on militarizing the border, leading to more harms and injustices.

Civil society and faith groups have been providing an example of efficiently managed shelters along the US-Mexico border and could guide the administration towards a more effective budget allocation. These shelters receive asylum seekers and migrants, providing food, shelter, health assessments, and transportation, for people to reunite with families and wait for their immigration hearings peacefully.

The administration has missed the opportunity to collaborate with civil society, but they still have room for improvements and restoration. It is within their mandate and resources to provide a sense of community that all residents, including newly arriving migrants, deserve. If they wish to avoid panic and achieve the order, they must create a humane solution with the collaboration of civil society with the right policies and resources allocated to it.

## Editorial and Conclusion

All residents of the USA border, including newly arriving migrants, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The Biden administration’s hasty approach to immigration has caused more harm than good, and it’s time for them to take responsibility to restore dignity to the millions of people seeking asylum in the US. Instead of investing in militarizing the border, the Biden administration must acknowledge the importance of civil society’s involvement. We urge the administration to consider working with groups that have provided effective frameworks and systems to make it possible for asylum seekers to find safety in the US without worry. We must prioritize human dignity, justice, and safety to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and fairness.

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