McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Controlling security along the Southwest border and treating asylum-seekers humanely through new initiatives are proposed in a framework plan several organizations released Wednesday.
The National Immigration Forum, in coordination with several other groups, designed the “Coalition Border Security and Management Framework,” plan to draw in Republicans and Democrats, officials say.
Collaborating organizations say their end goal is to efficiently and effectively secure the U.S. border while improving the asylum and immigration process for those who cross into the United States.
The plan’s four main proposals include:
- Modernizing the U.S. asylum process by creating a specialized corps of asylum officers with the authority to adjudicate most claims at the border within 45-60 days.
- Provide the personnel and resources to adequately secure U.S. borders.
- Programs and investments in technology to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal substances into the United States.
- Stopping human smuggling and trafficking by updating federal laws and processes to better respond to incidents, including those involving children.
The 16-page plan “proposes solutions to our border challenges and creates something secure, efficient and humane,” Jennie Murray, CEO of the nonprofit National Immigration Forum, told reporters on Wednesday. “This framework is pragmatic and we believe will receive support across party lines.”
If applied by lawmakers, Murray says “this framework would reduce unauthorized crossings and make the asylum process more efficient. It would also recognize the need for states and cities that have been struggling to keep up with the challenges of welcoming new arrivals.”
“By prioritizing a secure, efficient, and humane border, this framework is intended to create space to address longstanding shortcomings in other parts of the immigration system,” the report says.
The seven collaborating organizations that took part in this year-long report are all members of what they call center-right advocacy groups affiliated with the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus.
Participating groups include: Niskanen Center, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, State Business Executives, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and Border Perspective.
“We’re giving Congress tools to tackle policy reforms that secure our border and ensure our asylum system is efficient, effective, and fair,” said Kristie De Peña, senior vice president of policy at the Niskanen Center think tank.
De Peña says decades of a “patchwork approach to processing arrivals” have resulted in a vastly backlogged immigration system.
There were over 3.5 million backlogged U.S. immigration cases as of the end of March, reports Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse of Syracuse University.
De Peña says the framework offers solutions to effectively reduce the immigration timeline from initial encounters to final decisions.
“We need adjudication standards that differentiate between economic migrants and migrants seeking safety,” she said.
“It’s really no surprise that the movement of about 8 million people is really stressing our systems, and Americans alike,” De Peña said.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reports there could be upwards of 100 million people displaced globally.
“We no longer feel this is a passing trend,” Murray said.
According to the report, safeguarding the most vulnerable populations, like children, needs to be a priority.
Under this proposal, all unaccompanied children would receive a case manager within 72 hours of entering U.S. custody, and there would be documented reporting of every interaction the child has with U.S. officials.
“That’s going to ensure that they’re getting the kinds of protections that they need throughout the process,” De Peña said.
Family units with children would be held in CBP facilities “for no more than 72 hours and then released upon placement in a qualifying Alternatives to Detention program,” the report says.
The report also asks for more funding for border communities and states burdened with new arrivals.
Improving the current scheduling of asylum interviews with DHS officials is also urged. Interviews currently are made via the CBP One app at CBP ports in:
- Arizona: Nogales
- Texas: Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Hidalgo, Laredo, and El Paso
- California: Calexico and San Ysidro
“Of course, none of these pieces alone is a silver bullet, but they make up the foundations of the kind of reform system that we think can reduce pressure on the border and increase order and security,” De Peña said.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@Borderreport.com.