Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas advanced the Biden Administration's efforts this week to completely dismantle interior immigration enforcement.
DHS took steps to shut down two facilities that detain illegal aliens -- one in Georgia and one in Massachusetts. Along with the closing of the Massachusetts facility, DHS announced it's also cancelling its 287(g) agreement with the Bristol County sheriff's office.
While both these facilities were targeted because of reported mistreatment of a small number of detainees, the Biden Administration has decided to close the facilities altogether, rather than take steps to prevent future mistreatment.
The administration also announced that more detention center closures are on the way.
BIDEN: ENDING TRUMP POLICIES OR ENDING ENFORCEMENT?
Pres. Biden campaigned on rolling back most, if not all, of the immigration reforms established by former Pres. Trump. But many of the actions taken, thus far, have gone beyond just rolling back Trump policies. In fact, the Biden Administration has taken some steps that go beyond actions taken by the Obama Administration to limit the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Here's a list of just a few of the major actions taken over the first four months of Pres. Biden's first term to dismantle enforcement:
- Suspended most deportations of illegal aliens for 100 days.
- Suspended all construction of barriers along the Southwest border, including routine repairs to existing barriers.
- Reinstated the practice of "catch-and-release", allowing illegal border crossers to continue their journey to the interior of the United States.
- Began the process to roll back the use of expedited removal for recent illegal border crossers.
- Terminated third-country asylum agreements with several Central American countries.
- Terminated the Migrant Protection Protocols that required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until they could appear before a federal immigration judge.
While most actions taken by the Biden Administration have focused on enforcement, there have also been a number of actions that more directly adversely impact American workers.
Last week, the Administration delayed the implementation of a rule that would raise wages for skilled foreign guest workers. The Administration has also increased the refugee ceiling, lifted restrictions on the admission of guest workers and most green card categories due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and began the creation of a climate change refugee program while ignoring the impacts of its immigration policies on the environment in the United States.
CHRIS CHMIELENSKI is the Deputy Director for NumbersUSA
