The executive order presented this Tuesday by President Joe Biden, which seeks to drastically restrict asylum applications at the southern border of the United States, has generated a wave of criticism from activistswhich compare the measure with the actions taken by the Government of Donald Trump (2017-2021).

The order, which will come into force this Tuesday, will allow US authorities to deport those who do not exceed strict standards to request protection when the figure of 2,500 daily arrests at the border is exceeded for an average of seven days. One of the first to react was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which warned in a statement that the order “echoes” the entry ban issued by the Trump Government in 2018.

Deirdre Schifeling, political and advocacy director of the ACLU, warned that the initiative presented It does not cover needs at the border or fix “the failed” immigration system. Rejection of the measure even came from allies of the Biden Administration, such as California Senator Alex Padilla.

“By reviving Trump’s asylum ban, President Biden has undermined American values and has abandoned our nation’s obligations to provide people fleeing persecution, violence and authoritarianism the opportunity to seek refuge in the United States,” the legislator said in a statement. The senator joined the voices that They warn that the measure does not address the challenges of the border. The Democrat advocated for “smart and strategic investments” to reduce delays and wait times and open legal avenues for migration, among other measures.

For Angélica Salas, director of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants, this initiative is “highly unacceptable” because it represents irreversible damage to asylum seekers who are denied entry. The activist told EFE that with the executive order the Biden Government is giving space to anti-immigrants.

“It is a political and punitive action towards immigrants and we will fight against them in the courts,” he added. The ACLU announced this Tuesday that it will challenge the executive order in court, just as it did in 2018 when it managed to stop a similar measure issued by the Trump Government. For its part, Fernando García, director executive of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), an organization with a presence on the southern border of the United States with Mexico, told EFE that the order “will further push migrants to depend on unsafe transportation methods and routes.” dangerous.

In announcing the executive order, Biden attempted to draw a contrast with the harsh policies his predecessor proclaimed on immigration. “I have never demonized immigrants,” the president said in a speech at the White House. But the president’s words have not been able to stop the chain reaction of criticism about the measure. María Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, warned in a statement that “Voters won’t forget this in November”. “In fact, a large majority of Americans support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,” the activist recalled.

For her part, Erika Pinheiro, from the organization Al Otro Lado, based in San Diego, in southern California, considers that the measure issued this Tuesday “will not be able to deter asylum seekers”. The activist who knows the situation on the US border with California closely warned that despite claims that the order will “close the border,” it could be weeks or months before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) act. “All of this could overwhelm the border and the Border Patrol’s capacity and lead to further chaos,” she said.