President Joe Biden has once again showcased his administration’s approach to border security with a new executive order that purportedly aims to curb unlawful crossings at the southern border. Despite the administration’s high-profile assertions that this policy would bar migrants who unlawfully cross from receiving asylum, the practical implementation of this order reveals a continuation of existing leniencies and fails to fortify the border as claimed.
The detailed ICE memo dated June 4, issued by acting Director Patrick Lechleitner to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations director, ostensibly suspends the entry of apprehended noncitizens. However, it simultaneously lists a broad spectrum of exceptions, thereby enabling the very loopholes it professes to eliminate. Among the exceptions are provisions allowing noncitizens to enter based on law enforcement, public safety, urgent humanitarian considerations, and public health interests, as adjudged by CBP officers. This means that migrants can still qualify to remain in the U.S. under circumstances nearly identical to those exploited previously.
A salient case illustrating the flaws in the current approach is that of Jose Ibarra, the accused murderer of nursing student Laken Riley. Ibarra was apprehended crossing the southern border illegally in September 2022. Despite legal obligations necessitating his detention until removal, the Biden administration opted for parole due to the DHS’s incapacity to detain him. Ibarra’s subsequent arrest in New York on charges related to child endangerment, followed by Riley’s alleged murder in Georgia, underscores the dire consequences of such policy leniencies.
The Biden administration’s new order, in reality, sustains the status quo by preserving the same loopholes. The clause permitting illegal immigrants to be paroled “due to operational considerations” essentially translates into a continued practice of releasing them into the interior. This echoes past practices where operational capacity constraints led to the release of countless noncitizens, undermining efforts to establish a secure boundary.
Contrary to attempts to project a tougher stance on immigration, the Biden administration’s policies facilitate the persistent inflows at the southern border. This raises critical concerns about national security and the rule of law, urging a reevaluation of border control strategies. The clamor for genuine and stringent enforcement remains pressing as the nation’s borders continue to operate under policies that compromise both security and legal integrity.
The national conversation on border security is as pertinent as ever, especially with policies that fail to deliver substantial change. The current administration’s rhetoric versus actual policy outcomes forms a critical area of scrutiny for citizens concerned with the well-being and sovereignty of the nation. The necessity for an uncompromising stance on illegal border crossings cannot be overstated, reflecting an ideological commitment to uphold the nation’s laws and secure its borders effectively.
