8 million migrants to be stuck in US 'legal limbo' by October: Axios
4 Min Read
The migration crisis in the United States is escalating to new heights as at least 8 million people do not know their fate and whether they will be deported or admitted into the US.
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Migrants walk along the highway through Arriaga, Chiapas state in southern Mexico, January 8, 2024, during their journey north toward the US border. (AP)
Internal US government projections obtained by Axios indicate that the number of asylum seekers and migrants residing in the US in "legal limbo", i.e., people who are uncertain about their future pending a decision from the legal system, is set to surge to over 8 million by the end of September, marking a staggering 167% increase over the past five years.
This exponential growth, up from approximately 3 million in 2019, sheds light on the challenges faced by the underfunded and outdated US immigration system as it struggles to cope with the rapid influx of migrants to the southern borders.
The constantly inflating backlog has left millions living in a state of uncertainty, unsure whether they will be permitted to remain in the US or face potential deportation, often enduring this state for extended periods.
Data reveals that the backlog skyrocketed during President Joe Biden Biden's tenure as he is faced with an unprecedented surge of migrants globally as millions were already present in the US during the Trump administration.
As of the close of fiscal year 2023 on September 30, more than 6 million individuals were on what officials term the "non-detained docket." Homeland Security documents sent to Congress project this figure to starkly increase to 8 million by October 1.
The docket in question includes individuals facing deportation orders or awaiting final decisions on asylum and immigration cases but not held in the limited available detention space.
High priority 'criminal' cases
Within this backlog, an estimated 2 million migrants are categorized as high-priority cases, predominantly those with deportation orders, and some with criminal records or pending charges.
The prioritization of certain cases stems from the prejudice of some Republican lawmakers who continue to sound the alarm over immigrants due to the "crimes committed by immigrants in the US" even though studies consistently highlight lower violent crime rates among immigrants compared to US-born individuals.
The divisive issue has become a focal point for Republicans, spearheaded by former President Donald Trump, who continues to label the release of immigrants who recently crossed the border as a national security threat.
This comes at a time when the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is grappling with the need to scale back operations as the Biden administration seeks more funds to bolster the border. Simultaneously, the border witnesses a steady stream of thousands of individuals crossing in every day amid near-inaction from the Biden administration.
Weapon of mass destruction
The Biden administration's migration policy has been dubbed by Trump as a "weapon of mass destruction - our destruction."
"Just 3 years ago we had the strongest and safest Border in U.S. History. Today we have a catastrophe waiting to happen. It is the WORST BORDER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, an open wound in our once great Country," Trump argued on his social media platform, Truth Social.
He said that what he described as "terrorists" were entering the United States without restriction from various parts of the world, expressing a belief that there was now a "100% chance" of a significant terrorist attack occurring in the country.
As Biden faces growing scrutiny for his border policies, he continues to fail when it comes to providing further border security as Republicans want, although that is of their own making, though not exactly.
The Biden administration has been wrapping up the bill for border security with that of providing aid to Ukraine and the Israeli occupation, and although Republicans want to further bolster the US borders, they are not willing to continue giving money to Kiev and "Tel Aviv", which the Biden administration is leveraging to either get aid for their allies or fail to secure the border and blame that on the Republicans; a win-win for the democrats.
