Washington.- Republicans in the House of Representatives approved a bill Thursday to build more border wall between the United States and Mexico and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, a move that creates hardline opposition to President Joe Biden’s policies just as migrants crowd along the border after the end of restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law. Democrats, who have tight control in the Senate, have called the measures “cruel” and “anti-immigrant” and Biden has vowed to veto them.
But House Republicans deliberately timed the vote for the same day as the expiration of Title 42, a public health emergency rule that allowed border authorities to immediately deport many migrants who crossed the border illegally. Biden has admitted that the southern border will be “chaotic for a while” as immigrants weigh whether to cross or wait and US authorities implement a new set of policies aimed at cracking down on unauthorized immigration and offering more legal avenues.
Republicans have been determined to criticize Biden for the increase in irregular immigration during his tenure. Passing the bill would ensure House Republican lawmakers can say they did their part to fulfill their campaign promise to protect the border.
However, it took months for the bill to pass in the House of Representatives, amid sometimes public spats among GOP lawmakers over the initiative.
Even as the law was about to be approved on Wednesday, it had to be modified to appease the concerns of the so-called Liberty Caucus and other legislators.
US and international law give migrants the right to seek asylum based on political, religious or racial persecution, but conservatives say many people take advantage of the current system to live and work in the United States while waiting for their asylum application to be processed. in the tribunals.
The package would return to many of the same policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, such as building fences along the border. It would also restrict asylum by requiring migrants to cross legally, pay a $50 fee and meet more stringent requirements to show in initial interviews that they have a credible fear of persecution in their home country.
