How Trump could end the border invasion between Biden and Harris on day one

Resolving the unmitigated disaster that has occurred at the U.S.-Mexico border over the past four years will likely require at least some cooperation from Congress. But just as Joe Biden acted unilaterally to undo former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, Trump would have the power to begin restoring border security soon after taking office if he were to win in November.

Here are eight major actions at the border that Americans can expect early in a second Trump administration.

Restore “Stay in Mexico”

One of Trump’s most successful border policies — and one of the first under Joe Biden — was “Remain in Mexico,” officially the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). This policy required individuals seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings, rather than entering and staying in the United States.

In February 2021, Joe Biden ended Remain in Mexico and replaced it with catch-and-release instead. Now, migrants seeking asylum are released into the interior of the United States until their court hearings — which are sometimes a decade or more in the future.

Perhaps more than any other policy, the Biden-Harris catch-and-release program has directly contributed to the explosion of illegal aliens in the United States. It’s no surprise that asylum claims have skyrocketed because the whole world now knows that all you have to do to enter the United States is cross the border illegally and claim asylum – how legitimate those claims are too.

Reimplementing Remain in Mexico would send a signal to the world that the free ride between Biden and Harris is over. It would also immediately halt the flow of migrants entering the country through fraudulent asylum claims.

Reform the broken asylum system

In addition to reinstating Remain in Mexico, Trump could also reverse a series of Biden actions that dramatically relaxed standards for admission to the United States on an asylum claim.

In concrete terms, Trump could reduce the number of asylum seekers admitted. Last January, for example, the Biden-Harris administration began granting 30,000 asylum claims per month to migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua — all some of the most dangerous countries. in the world. Trump could immediately revoke that order. Trump could also change the criteria for asylum eligibility, which Biden has vastly expanded.

Restart construction of the border wall

On the first day of his presidency, Biden halted construction of the southern border wall and canceled contracts for further construction.

As in 2019, Trump could declare a national emergency at the southern border on day one, freeing up money for border security, including wall construction. The severity of the current crisis seems to more than justify such a state of emergency.

Reactivate Title 42 to combat fentanyl and public health threats

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump invoked Title 42, which allows U.S. authorities to quickly expel migrants at the border during a public health emergency. Another of Biden’s most infamous immigration policies was ending the use of Title 42 last year.

Now, Americans are facing a new kind of public health threat from the border: fentanyl, which is killing 200 Americans a day by 2023. After taking the oath of office, Trump could quickly invoke Title 42 again, which would allow Border Patrol to deport illegal aliens and halt the trafficking of deadly fentanyl into the United States.

Start deportations

A key part of Trump’s re-election platform was his promise for “the largest mass deportation program in American history.” On day one, Trump could order Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to begin removing all illegal aliens with final removal orders, criminal records and those caught entering the country illegally. Increasing domestic enforcement will be a powerful deterrent to so-called illegal aliens.

Designate Mexican drug cartels as transnational criminal organizations

Securing the border will require tough action against Mexico’s drug cartels, which are fueling both the drug crisis and human trafficking across the border. Designating Mexico’s drug cartels as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) would give the U.S. government more power to freeze cartel assets, impose sanctions and target cartel leaders for prosecution. Additionally, it would allow U.S. law enforcement agencies to more aggressively prosecute criminal networks, both within the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to legal and financial measures, this designation could lay the groundwork for more military and intelligence operations against the cartels, either in coordination with the Mexican government or, if necessary, independently.

End the CBP One app conditional abuse scheme

In January 2023, the Biden-Harris administration rolled out the CBP One app, which has essentially become a tool for the federal government to allow large numbers of illegal aliens into the country. It is assumed that there is selective parole on a case-by-case basis. The CBP One app has enabled access for more than 170,000 individuals with virtually no screening.

Further reporting from the Washington Examiner has discovered that Mexican cartels are using the app as a tool in their human trafficking operations.

On day one, Trump could end use of the CBP One app and put an end to this blatant abuse of the parole system.

Request cooperation from Mexico

During his first term, Trump successfully worked with Mexico to send thousands of troops to its northern and southern borders to control the flow of migrants. Trump achieved this by threatening tariffs on Mexican goods, a move that forced the Mexican government to cooperate on border security. Although Biden has abandoned this approach, Trump has indicated he would again force Mexico to help the US protect its border.

With strong political will behind them, these bold actions could quickly change the situation at the border and put an end to four years of chaos.

Kate Schloss is a pseudonym of a writer who lives in the capital of our country.