Covid-19: Biden administration lifts Trump immigration restrictions
Migrants cross the border between Mexico and the United States in June 2021 (illustration image).
AP - Eugene Garcia
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In the United States, the Biden administration announces the lifting of immigration restrictions imposed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A decision that risks increasing arrivals at the southern border and which angers Republicans.
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With our correspondent in New York,
Loubna Anaki
The measure was put in place in March 2020 by Donald Trump.
At the time, his administration spoke of a need to try to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The system allows the immediate expulsion of migrants arrested at the border without giving them the opportunity to file their asylum or immigration application.
Since coming to power, Joe Biden has been under pressure from humanitarian organizations to lift these restrictions.
They will therefore be on May 23.
But the decision of the American president is strongly criticized by Republicans who constantly accuse his administration of aggravating the migration crisis on the southern border.
Leading the critics is former Vice President Mike Pence.
“
I have the impression that the Biden administration is determined to pursue a policy that can be simply summed up as
'Open Borders'.
Americans disagree.
They want secure borders and an end to the illegal immigration crisis.
This policy only makes it worse
,” he said.
If the Biden administration says it expects an increase in the arrival of migrants at its border with Mexico, it says it has a strategy to deal with it.
"
Our policy will remain strict
," the Homeland Security Secretary said.
►Also read: United States: the number of deaths from Covid-19 in 2021 exceeds the balance sheet for 2020
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United States
Coronavirus
Immigration