The Biden administration is planning to speed up deportations for some migrant families who cross the US-Mexico border, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday. Certain families will now be subject to the fast-track deportation procedure known as “expedited removal,” which allows immigration authorities to remove an individual without a hearing before an immigration judge. The procedure will apply to families who are not swiftly expelled under a pandemic-related border policy.
It’s the latest indication of the Biden administration’s wariness over migrants, including those seeking asylum, journeying to the US southern border. Asked about Vice President Kamala Harris’ “don’t come” message to migrants, President Joe Biden reiterated that “they should not come” during a CNN town hall last week, adding that the administration is trying to tackle the root causes of migration.
“Attempting to cross into the United States between ports of entry, or circumventing inspection at ports of entry, is the wrong way to come to the United States,” DHS said in a statement Monday.