by Jason Lang
washingtonDecember 18 – US lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, pressed Democratic President Joe Biden on Sunday to take action to manage an expected surge of asylum seekers due to centuries-old restrictions on America’s southern border. covid finish this week.
US border cities are facing a wave of asylum seekers after a US judge ruled in November to nullify a policy put in place by former President Donald Trump’s administration that allowed immigration officials to quickly send asylum seekers to Mexico. And allowed to send back to other countries.
The policy, known as Title 42, will expire on December 21, and thousands of asylum seekers are lining up at the US-Mexico border ahead of an easing of restrictions.
The west Texas border city of El Paso declared a state of emergency on Saturday, with hundreds of immigrants sleeping on the streets in freezing temperatures and thousands being detained every day.
“This is a very serious situation,” Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas told the network’s “Face the Nation” show. CBS,
Gonzales urged Biden to reinvigorate previous policies that sought to expedite asylum reviews and deportations.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who also represents Texas, urged Biden to enact a policy requiring people to apply for asylum only from official border crossings.
“And if they don’t go down that path, they have to go back,” Cuellar told “Face the Nation.”
