A new Biden administration policy that aims to address illegal southern US border crossings would have been in effect for at least the last three years because of a surge in migrant encounters, a CNN data analysis shows.
The executive action, announced on Tuesday, bars migrants crossing the border illegally from seeking asylum — with some limited exceptions — if the number of encountered by border agents exceeds a daily average of 2,500. Instead, they would be turned away immediately.
The average daily illegal crossings have for years surpassed that threshold, peaking at over 8,000 in December, according to Department of Homeland Security data analyzed by CNN.