The Biden administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers could announce a deal on new border controls this week, sources say. The new authorities would include the ability to put a hold on processing asylum requests during periods of heavy migrant crossings if those requests are not made at official ports of entry, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
The new authority would come into effect if average daily migrant crossings reach 5,000 over seven days or 8,500 over the course of one day. There would also be an option to activate the authority, if deemed necessary, if average daily crossings exceed 4,000 in one week.
Exceptions would be allowed for migrants who pass screenings for certain types of humanitarian refuge, and all migrants would still be able to request asylum at official ports of entry. U.S. border officials would be required to process more than 1,400 asylum-seekers per day at these entry points during times the new authority is activated, the sources said.
Any deal is likely to face significant challenges in the House, but if successful, it would be the first significant bipartisan update of immigration authorities since the 90s.
