The Biden administration on Thursday is expected to propose a rule cracking down on migrants ineligible to claim asylum, according to two sources familiar, a change that’s not expected to be sweeping but rather a tightening of the current immigration system.
The move comes as the White House has tried to toughen its position on the US-Mexico border and flip the script on Republicans who continue to hammer President Joe Biden on immigration ahead of the November election.
The proposed rule would allow immigration officials to quickly reject some migrants from claiming asylum earlier in the process if they’re found to be ineligible. The regulation, which would still need to go through a public comment period, is not expected to cast a wider net of people who would be restricted from applying for asylum, according to a source.
Politico first reported on the proposed changes.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut acknowledged Wednesday that the administration was pursuing asylum changes, but noted that without legislation, making full scale changes to the asylum system is incredibly difficult.
Murphy told reporters he’s been engaged with the administration on the policies under review, but noted fuller scale changes that Republicans want Biden to make risk being challenged in court.
Senate Democrats are going to keep pushing for the failed bipartisan immigration bill to get more GOP support, Murphy said, adding that at this point, it’s not clear the measure would get another vote.
CNN’s Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
