The Biden Administration Falls Short on Asylum During Year One: A Call for Change in 2022

Before he was elected, candidate Joe Biden promised as president to welcome immigrants and reassert the United States’ commitment to people seeking asylum and refugees. One year into his administration, most individuals arriving at the US-Mexico border to seek protection remain trapped in dangerous cities in northern Mexico or are summarily expelled to their home countries without any chance to ask for asylum; more than 1,000 children ripped apart from their parents by the Trump administration remain separated and the administration has reversed its pledge for redress; and there are now more immigrants in detention facilities amid rapid COVID-19 spread than when President Biden took office.

In this review, WRC calls on the Biden administration to fulfill its promises, and outlines its top priorities for the Biden administration to protect migrants seeking protection in 2022.