Biden considering executive action to stop US-Mexico border crisis: report

The Biden administration is in the process of deciding whether or not it should act without congressional approval to make it harder for illegal immigrants to be granted asylum and easier to deport those who fail to meet the criteria. This comes after the Biden administration demanded new emergency authoriy from Congress to secure the border.  

The move comes as the Biden administration has been reluctant to take action on the southern border to crack down on illegal immigration unless Congress passed a border funding bill along with other foreign aid provisions. 

According to NBC News, three sources familiar with the matter noted that while the actions are in talks, a final decision is potentially weeks away, with additional time needed to actually implement the policies to tighten down the flow of immigration at the border.  

Previously, the Biden White House was demanding that Congress pass a border package that would allow him more executive power to crack down on border security.  

The claim that he needed any more authority to do so was met with heavy scrutiny from Republican lawmakers.

When House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on Meet the Press earlier in February, he stated that Congress did not need to give him any more authority to shut down the border and that he had all the authority already.  

If the administration does decide to go ahead with the proposed plan, a number of changes to the existing protocols would be made. Under the updated policies, officers processing asylum claims would be told to raise the bar for entry during first screenings, known as "credible fear interviews."  

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials would, on their end, be instructed to switch to a "last in, first out" system wherein those who most recently entered the country are placed at the top of the deportation list.