Biden Caves on Border: Illegal Venezuelan Migrants ‘Will Be Returned to Mexico, Effective Immediately’

Democrat President Joe Biden has started to cave on his weak pro-immigration policies after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican governors bused the border crisis to Democrat cities.

The Biden admin announced that, “effective immediately,” Venezuelans caught entering the United States illegally “will be returned to Mexico.”

The move is a major U-turn for the Biden White House, especially after Democrats attacked President Donald Trump for his successful “Remain in Mexico” policy.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin broke the news: “DHS announces that effective immediately, all Venezuelans caught crossing into the U.S. illegally between ports of entry will be returned to MX as part of a new joint action with Mexico.

“Previously, almost all Venezuelan nationals were released into U.S.

“Big change,” Melugin noted.

“At the same time, DHS says it will create a new process to ‘lawfully and safely’ bring up to 24,000 qualifying Venezuelans into the U.S.”

The qualifications and disqualifications were announced by Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

“These actions make clear that there is a lawful and orderly way for Venezuelans to enter the United States, and lawful entry is the only way,” said Mayorkas.

“Those who attempt to cross the southern border of the United States illegally will be returned to Mexico and will be ineligible for this process in the future.

“Those who follow the lawful process will have the opportunity to travel safely to the United States and become eligible to work here.”

DHS issued a statement that said:

Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing work to build a fair, orderly, and secure immigration system, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing joint actions with Mexico to reduce the number of people arriving at our Southwest border and create a more orderly and safe process for people fleeing the humanitarian and economic crisis in Venezuela.

Almost four times as many Venezuelans as last year attempted to cross our southern border, placing their lives in the hands of ruthless smuggling organizations. Meanwhile, irregular migration from northern Central America is down by a quarter from the level encountered last year.

The actions the United States and Mexico are announcing today are intended to address the most acute irregular migration and help ease pressure on the cities and states receiving these individuals.

Effective immediately, Venezuelans who enter the United States between ports of entry, without authorization, will be returned to Mexico. At the same time, the United States and Mexico are reinforcing their coordinated enforcement operations to target human smuggling organizations and bring them to justice.

That campaign will include new migration checkpoints, additional resources and personnel, joint targeting of human smuggling organizations, and expanded information sharing related to transit nodes, hotels, stash houses, and staging locations. The United States is also planning to offer additional security assistance to support regional partners to address the migration challenges in the Darién Gap.

Our comprehensive effort to reduce the irregular migration of Venezuelans also includes a new process to lawfully and safely bring up to 24,000 qualifying Venezuelans into the United States.

The United States will not implement this process without Mexico keeping in place its independent but parallel effort to accept the return of Venezuelan nationals who bypass this process and attempt to enter irregularly.

This effort is intended to enhance border security by reducing the number of Venezuelans seeking to irregularly enter the United States. It is derived from the success of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, which decreased flows at the border by creating an orderly process for the entry of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

DHS will closely monitor the implementation of this process, and Mexico’s independent and parallel efforts, and may consider expanding it in the future.

To be eligible, Venezuelans must:

have a supporter in the United States who will provide financial and other support;

pass rigorous biometric and biographic national security and public safety screening and vetting; and

complete vaccinations and other public health requirements.

Venezuelans are ineligible if they:

have been ordered removed from the United States in the previous five years;

have crossed without authorization between ports of entry after the date of announcement;

have irregularly entered Mexico or Panama after the date of announcement, or are a permanent resident or dual national of any country other than Venezuela, or currently hold refugee status in any country; or

have not completed vaccinations and other public health requirements.

Venezuelans should not travel to Mexico to pursue entry into the United States.

Venezuelans approved via this process will be authorized on a case-by-case basis to travel to the United States by air directly to an interior port of entry, thus relieving pressure at the border.  Once in the United States, they will be eligible to apply for work authorization.

DHS will administer the process, working with communities and other partners. Any U.S.-based individual with lawful status, including representatives of businesses or other organizations or entities, can support a potential beneficiary from Venezuela. A supporter must prove that they have the means to provide financial and other support for the beneficiary. In the coming days, potential supporters can apply to DHS to support individual eligible Venezuelans via www.uscis.gov/Venezuela. Individuals and representatives of organizations seeking to apply as a supporter must declare the organization’s financial support and they must pass security background checks to protect against exploitation and abuse.

The State Department will also engage in a robust in-region messaging campaign to communicate about this new process and the consequences of attempting irregular entry.

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By David Hawkins

David Hawkins is a writer who specializes in political commentary and world affairs. He's been writing professionally since 2014.

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