Third, I have directed my team to develop family reunification processes that will extend this well-recognized model to certain individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia. Second, we are streamlining the long-established family reunification parole processes for Cubans and Haitians so that individuals from these countries with approved family-based petitions can more quickly reunite with their families here in the United States. In addition to refugee processing, migrants may be screened at these centers and referred to pursue additional pathways to the United States or to other countries for which they may be eligible. Refugee Admissions Program and provide for the swift processing of a greater number of individuals. They will interview applicants for the U.S. We are dedicating specially trained refugee officers to the centers. Today, we are announcing the expansion of our plan to build lawful pathways and to impose consequences for failure to use those pathways.įirst, the Department of Homeland Security is proud to work with the State Department in establishing the Regional Processing Centers that Secretary Blinken described. Let me be clear: Our border is not open and will not be open after May 11th. High encounters will place a strain on our entire system, including our dedicated and heroic workforce and our communities. Notwithstanding those preparations, we do expect that encounters at our southern border will increasing, as smugglers are seeking to take advantage of this change and already are hard at work spreading disinformation that the border will be open after that. We have been preparing for this transition for more than a year and a half. The return to processing migrants under Title 8 authorities will be swift and immediate. It carries stiff consequences for irregular migration, including at least a five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution for repeated attempts to cross unlawfully. This is a longstanding immigration enforcement authority that multiple administrations – Republican and Democratic alike – have used to process individuals. When people have safe and orderly pathways to come to the United States and face consequences for failing to do so, they use those pathways.Īfter May 11th, our court-compelled use of Title 42 will end and we will once again process all migrants under Title 8 of the United States code. Overall, the number of Border Patrol encounters in March 2023 was down 23 percent compared to March of last year. We have seen a high degree of interest in these parole processes and a dramatic drop in encounters from these nationalities. Building on the success of Uniting for Ukraine, we created parole processes for qualifying Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and we expelled individuals from these countries who sought to enter at our southern border. At the same time, we are imposing consequences on those who do not use those pathways and instead irregularly migrate to our southern border. We are building lawful pathways for people to come to the United States without resorting to the smugglers. The comprehensive plan we have developed and are executing takes this reality into account. We have seen a dramatic rise in the reach, sophistication, and cruelty of the smuggling organizations over the past ten years and the challenges that presents. This is particularly important because we have a humanitarian obligation to cut the smugglers out. The Regional Processing Centers announced today will be a critical addition to the programs and processes DHS has in place for qualifying individuals to obtain authorization to enter the United States before arriving at our borders. Working with our neighbors in the region, we can and will reduce the number of migrants who reach our southern border. As the Secretary described, this is a hemispheric challenge that demands hemispheric solutions.
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