Biden faces legal challenges over border strategy

ADMISSIONS WAS INTRODUCED IN 2022 BUT DID NOT MAKE IT OUT OF A SENATE COMMITTEE. >> THE HEAD OF DHS ACKNOWLEDGES THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COUNTRIES IMMIGRATION SYSTEM BUT IS PUSHING BACK ON REPUBLICANS WHO WANT HIM OUT. HOMELAND SECURITY MAYORQUEZ TESTIFIED BEFORE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ENTERING THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY DESPITE A SHORT DROP IN IMMIGRATION. >> IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK ON THE BORDER. A FEDERAL JUDGE DROPPED THE MIGRANT PLAN. LET'S BRING IN IMMIGRATION REPORTER CAMILO MONTOYA GALVEZ. FIRST WHILE DID THE JUDGE RULE AGAINST THE BIDEN PLAN. >> THIS REGULATION FIRST IMPLEMENTED IN MAY, JOHN, DISQUALIFIED MIGRANTS FROM U.S. ASYLUM IF THEY ENTER THE COUNTRY UNLAWFULLY AFTER FAILING. IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAVE SITED FOR THAT RECENT DROP THAT YOU MENTIONED IN ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS. BUT THIS JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA, BUT THIS JUDGE CONCLUDED THAT THIS BILL IS TOO RESTRICTIVE BECAUSE IT PENALIZES MIGRANTS WHO CROSS AND WHO DO NOT ASK FOR ASYLUM IN OTHER COUNTRIES. HE SAID THE U.S. ASYLUM LAW DATING BACK TO 1980s, MIGRANTS PHYSICALLY ON AMERICAN SOIL HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK FOR ASYLUM. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED THE JUDGE. IT IS SAID TO TAKE EFFECT IN TWO WEEKS. >> IS IT FAIR TO INTERPRET THE JUDGE'S RULING ON MAINTAIN AGO NORM. WHAT USED TO BE THE NORM OF U.S. POLICY OR WHAT IS STILL THE NORM OF U.S. LAW WHICH IS THAT THE UNITED STATES IS BASICALLY A WELCOMING COUNTRY TO THOSE WHO HAVE ASYLUM CLAIMS. BECAUSE THEY ARE FLEEING IF THEY HAVE SUCH CLAIMS, THE BASIC PROPOSITION IS THAT THEY'RE FLEEING SOME WHERE AWFUL AND THE UNITED STATES HAS A MORE WELCOMING POSTURE IN LAW THAN IT DOES IN CURRENT POLITICS. >> WHEN CONGRESS RATIFIED THE U.S. ASYLUM PROGRAM CURRENTLY IN 1980 IT WAS TRYING TO CONFORM U.S. POLICY WITH TREATIES THAT WERE CREATED IN THE WAKE OF WORLD WAR II TO PROTECT PEOPLE FLEEING PERSECUTION AND TO ENSURE THE COUNT TRIPS WERE NOT SENDING MIGRANTS AND OTHER REFUGEES BACK TO PLACES WHERE THEY COULD BE PERSECUTED WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN WORLD WAR II INCLUDING HERE IN THE U.S. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT REJECTED AND FAMOUSLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWISH. THERE HAS BEEN A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER THAT LAW WHICH IS FAIRLY GENEROUS IS NOW COMPATIBLE WITH THE REALITY OF TODAY'S MIGRATION FLOWS, JOHN. BUT THAT IS A DEBATE THAT CONGRESS NEEDS TO HAVE. THE ADMINISTRATION IS ARGUING THAT IN LIGHT OF CONGRESS NOT ACTING IT NEEDS TO PLAY SOME HIGHER CONDITIONS ON ASYLUM ELIGIBILITY, JOHN. >> WHILE THE JUDGE IS ON THE ONE HAND SAYING THE JUDGE IS HARD, ON WEDNESDAY THEY MENTIONED THE APP USED TO PROCESS ASYLUM SEEKERS IN MEXICO. SO LET'S PLAY SOME OF WHAT THEY SAID. >> AND THEN YOU'VE TAKEN THIS APP AND YOU'VE DIGITIZED ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND YOU SCALED IT TO THE MOON. THIS APP THAT YOU HAVE EVERYBODY DOWNLOADING IS LIKE THE DISNEY FAST PASS INTO THE COUNTRY. >> SO CAMILO REMIND US AGAIN ABOUT THE APP AND PROCESS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. >> THE APP IS KNOWN AS CDP1, WHICH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS USED SINCE JANUARY TO ALLOW MIGRANTS IN NORTHERN OR CENTRAL MEXICO TO REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT TO BE PROCESSED AT A LAND PORT OF ENTRY ALONG THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PORTRAYED THIS PROCESS AS AN ORDERLY AND LEGAL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK ASYLUM AND TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM CROSSING IN BETWEEN THE PORTS UNLAWFULLY. BUT REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THAT THIS PROCESS IS ARTIFICIALLY MAKING IT SEEM LIKE THE SITUATION AT THE BORDER HAS IMPROVED WHEN THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR A CLOSE ENOUGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE STILL COMING TO THE BORDER. BUT NOW THROUGH THE PORTS OF ENTRY. THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD CONCEDE JOHN THAT THIS PROCESS IS INDEED DESIGNED TO DIVERT MIGRATION PORTS TO THE PORTS OF ENTRY. S THAT THAT IS TRUE. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT THIS IS PROCESSING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGH THE SYSTEM. SEEKING ASYLUM THROUGH A PORT OF ENTRY IS ENTIRELY LEGAL UNDER U.S. LAW. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE POLICY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION ADVOCATED FOR BACK WHEN IT WAS DEFENDENING ITS DEFENDING. IT WAS ASKING IMMIGRANTS TO WAIT AT A PORT OF ENTRY AND FILE FOR ASYLUM. >> WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS DOES THE U.S. FACE AT THE BORDER. >> IT'S SAFE TO SAY EVERY PART OF THE BIDEN POLICIES ARE BEING CHALLENGED. IT'S ALSO BEING SUED BY REPUBLICAN LEFT STATES AND SEVERAL FEDERAL COURTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ONE OF THOSE LAWSUITS IS AGAINST A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS UP TO 30,000 MIGRANTS FROM CUBA, VENEZUELA, HAITI AND CUBA TO COME TO THE U.S. IF THEY HAVE SPONSORS. THAT PROGRAM COULD VERY WELL BE STRUCK DOWN. BECAUSE THESE STATES ARE ARGUING THAT IT BYPASSES CONGRESS'S ROLE IN DICTATING LEGAL IMMIGRATION LEVELS, JOHN. THEY BELIEVE THAT IT'S CONGRESS ROLE TO DICTATE WHO COMES HERE NOT THE ADMINISTRATION'S ROLE. >> AND AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE. CONGRESS IS NOT ALWAYS TAKING

Channel: CBS News

Views: 16,286

Keywords: Politics, Joe Biden, Immigration, United States Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, House Judiciary Committee, U.S.-Mexico Border

Id: fD9kLbVRr1k

Length: 6min 47sec (407 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 27 2023