Los Angeles, Apr 14 (EFE) , has generated a wave of criticism among activists and lawyers, who say it is confusing and “will harm the most vulnerable.”
“There is a lot of confusion about what is happening at the border for asylum seekers,” Teresa Tejada, director of the Association of Salvadorans of Los Angeles (ASOSAL), an organization that belongs to the Alianza América coalition, told EFE.
“Implementing strategies without clarity will surely harm the most vulnerable, the poorest and most unprotected families who are fleeing for their lives,” added the activist.
The implementation of the “accelerated asylum” process is part of the response of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the end of Title 42, a measure that allows the immediate expulsion of migrants for health reasons and whose validity ends next May, explained a spokesman for the agency to EFE.
The plan expedites credible fear interviews of asylum seekers with USCIS agents, which under this initiative will take place at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention centers.
For immigration lawyer Fernando Romo, the biggest problem with this plan is the difficulty for these asylum seekers to have legal advice.
“Presenting an asylum case takes time and many applicants are not clear about the bases for which they request asylum,” the lawyer told EFE.
The DHS spokesperson told EFE that “DHS will work with legal service providers to provide access to individuals receiving credible fear interviews while in CBP custody.”
He stressed that the process “is designed to ensure that migrants have the ability to contact legal service providers” and that CBP agents and officers will not conduct these interviews.
But the effort doesn’t seem to win over border aid organizations like the Jewish Family Service (JFS), which works with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in San Diego, California.
In a statement, the organization said it “condemns any action that could further harm vulnerable migrant families and individuals seeking safety in the US.”
He criticizes its similarity with two measures of the Government of Donald Trump (2017-2021): The Rapid Review of Asylum Applications and the Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (PACR/HARP), which sought to speed up the interviews of asylum seekers while they were in custody.
The difference with Biden’s policy is that the interviews will be carried out by USCIS officials, who are generally in charge of carrying out this task.
“The fact that the Administration ended these policies upon taking office, only to reinstate them less than two years later, is inexcusable and horrific,” JFS said.
For his part, the DHS spokesperson indicated that the “Biden Administration will continue to analyze all available tools to make asylum processing more efficient, while defending due process and other protections.”
He also criticized that “Congress refuses to act to fix our decades-old flawed immigration system.”
DHS did not explain when the pilot program will begin, but US House Rep. Henry Cuellar told Border Report last Wednesday that screening interviews are already taking place at large temporary CBP facilities. Although he did not give details.
Tejada demands more information on the implementation of this and other plans that affect asylum seekers. “There are Salvadorans calling from the Mexican border and we don’t know how to guide them,” she said.
For his part, Romo describes the plan as “a double-edged sword.”
“I understand that the Government wants and needs to take action due to the large number of delayed applications, but this can affect people who have valid cases,” he said.
