The Evolving U.S. Policy Toward Asylum Seekers
by Inselbag Lee
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract – Immigration to the United States via the southern border has proved a delicate political and legal issue throughout the years. The issue has become especially complicated given new pressures like the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent increase of illegal immigrants, especially children, at the border. The question arises as to how to reconcile international human rights for immigrants seeking asylum against the need to deter the untenable influx of illegal immigration. To untangle this question, this paper will discuss the history of immigration law and the stringent enforcement policies enacted during the Trump administration. It will also examine the difficult transition in immigrant policy since Joe Biden’s election to office in 2020. The essay will then explore the international circumstances contributing to the recent immigrant surge. Ultimately, the future of immigration law requires that the Biden administration balance fulfilling campaign promises to reverse Trump-era protocols against managing the immigration spike at the southern border.