CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It's the most aggressive the Biden Administration has been on immigration. A new executive order signed Tuesday will change how asylum claims are processed.
KRIS 6 News spoke to an expert who tells us what this means for those who are coming to seek the American Dream.
But what does this executive order consist of?
Under the new executive order, the border with Mexico will close for migrants seeking asylum after crossing outside the ports of entry if the average daily arrivals in the past seven days exceed 2,500.
The only way it will reopen is when the numbers go down to 1,500 in an average of seven days.
According to data from the department of Homeland Security, currently, illegal crossings on the southern border are around 4,000 per day on the weekly average.
The minimum threshold of 1,500 applications for the border to reopen could be difficult to reach.
However, immigration attorney Mary Helen Berlanga believes this executive order is a good thing for the country.
"We are seeing people in excess of 4,000 people come in a day and I think what he's trying to do is get some control at the border, which is very difficult to do, but I think by limiting the number of people that come in at one time daily that will be helpful," Berlanga said.
KRIS 6 News spoke to an immigrant who preferred to stay anonymous and said she has been here for eight months and tells us she can't imagine how the people at the border are feeling.
"The truth is that it is very difficult to be there, when we turned ourselves in it seemed like every hour more and more people arrived," she said." I can't imagine what they are feeling right now, not knowing when they will be able to cross."
Many like herself come to this country for a better life she said life in her country was not the best.
Berlenga added that the amount of people crossing the border is overwhelming.
"Those people are in need of help, and I think we can’t the law protects them to get asylum, but I think limiting the number that come in daily kind of controls the border patrol, immigration, and the community," she said.
Those who enter illegally and do not prove credible fear in an interview with an asylum officer will be immediately expelled and banned from re-entry for five years.
It is unknown if this executive order will be challenged in court and by who.
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