The United States government, under the presidency of Joe Biden, has announced new measures to control irregular immigration and create more legal channels for the arrival of immigrants. With the expiration of Title 42, which allowed the rapid return of immigrants, the government fears an increase in the migratory flow on the border with Mexico. The measure has been in use since March 2020 for health reasons.
The government has announced agreements with other countries to create immigrant centers where they can process their applications and be evaluated. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has stressed the importance of removing human traffickers from the immigration process. Although the Republicans led by Donald Trump accuse the government of the Biden Administration of being responsible for an “invasion” on the border with Mexico, the political debate has made it clear that immigrants are needed to fill the vacant jobs.
The Title 42 measure has facilitated the rapid return of those who cross the border without permission and are intercepted, although it has not stopped the arrival of immigrants. The Biden government has adopted different agreements to facilitate legal migration channels and, at the same time, close the door to immigrants without papers. The agreement to process applications from Venezuelans has been expanded and has been extended to citizens of Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
The government has recalled that it has also reached agreements with Canada and Spain to accommodate some immigrant quotas. The new measures will allow that process to continue, and further collaboration with regional partners in Latin America is expected.