Biden’s Executive Order: New Asylum Ban, Old Tactics

On June 4, the Biden administration signed an executive order that will severely restrict people's legal right to seek asylum, no matter how strong their claims. Among the measures announced, the administration will effectively shut off asylum for the overwhelming majority of people arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of encounters reaches 2,500 between ports of entry, a threshold which has already been met. The order is the most restrictive border policy instituted by President Biden and echoes an effort in 2018 by former President Trump to cut off migration, which the ACLU and other immigrant rights advocates successfully challenged. Under any president, lawful, harmful policies that eliminate crucial lifelines for people seeking safety will be taken to task. Joining us to discuss Biden's executive order and our lawsuit to fight against it are Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project and Keren Zwick, director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago.