President Biden Restricts Ability to Claim Asylum at the Border

On June 4, 2024, President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation that went into immediate effect at the border.? The order severely limits an individual’s ability to claim asylum at the border.? Asylum grants individuals the right to stay in the U.S. based on fear of persecution at home because of one’s race, nationality, political opinion, membership in a particular social group, or religious beliefs. The Presidential Proclamation allows the U.S. government to refuse to accept asylum claims from people arriving at the border during any period of time when there has been an average of more than 2,500 people encountered at the border over a 7-day period. ?The asylum ban remains in place until 14 days after another 7-day period in which the average number of encounters at the border falls below 1,500.? ?Given these metrics, it is likely that the ban on applying for asylum at the border will last for a long time and possibly be an indefinite ban.? There will be legal challenges asserting that this Proclamation violates U.S. and international asylum law.?