Senior administration officials announced on Thursday that, as part of a broader initiative aimed at curbing illegal immigration ahead of the Nov. 5 elections, the Biden administration will expedite the immigration court proceedings for certain single adults apprehended while illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Reuters reports. Single adults with court dates heading to five cities - Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City - could be placed in a "recent arrivals docket," senior administration officials said. U.S. immigration judges will aim to resolve those claims for asylum in 180 days instead of a process that can now take years because of major backlogs.
Biden administration officials declined to say how many people could be placed in accelerated case processing, but at least 10 judges will initially be assigned to the new program, one official said. The administration also intends to finalize a proposed regulation later this year that would allow asylum officers to quickly deny claims of migrants convicted of a serious crime, linked to terrorism or posing other dangers to public safety. Biden has toughened his approach to border security in recent months as immigration has emerged as a top voter concern. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a statement urged Congress to pass a bipartisan Senate bill that would increase border enforcement. "This administrative step is no substitute for the sweeping and much-needed changes that the bipartisan Senate bill would deliver," Mayorkas said.