After Covid border controls are lifted in May, the administration of US President Joe Biden has unveiled a plan that would make it more difficult for migrants to request asylum.
Adult asylum seekers would have to use an app to schedule a meeting with US officials or apply for asylum in another nation first before coming to the US.
If migrants do not comply, they will not be accepted if they later arrive at the border.
groups that support immigration compared the plan to Trump-era policies.
The proposal made on Tuesday is the most stringent immigration restriction ever put forth by Vice President Biden, a Democrat who was elected on a platform promising a more compassionate response to the border crisis than his predecessor's administration.
Only families and adults would be subject to the proposed rule; unaccompanied minors would not.
The proposed solution would encourage migrants to use a phone app to schedule a meeting with a US immigration official once they reach the border.
It would be assumed that anyone who missed the appointment had been denied asylum in the other nations they had traveled through.
These undocumented immigrants are eligible for a speedy deportation under the proposal, which was released jointly by the US Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
If approved, it would go into effect on May 11, the day that Title 42, a Trump administration health emergency provision that permits migrant expulsion back to Mexico, is set to expire.
The Biden policy would be in effect for a period of two years with the possibility of an extension.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that it would file a lawsuit to prevent the rule's implementation.
The group compared the proposal to past presidential actions by Donald Trump that were found to be unconstitutional by the courts.
According to Oxfam America, the United States will no longer accept countless refugees looking for safety and protection. " .
However, a Biden administration official who wished to remain unnamed told the AFP news agency that "this administration will not allow mass chaos and disorder at the border because of Congress's failure to act.". ".
The public has 30 days to offer feedback on the proposal's draft.
According to recent government statistics, 200,000 undocumented immigrants try to enter the US each month.
