Venezuelan Initiative Restricts Asylum, Immigrant Advocates Say

Human rights advocates slammed the Biden administration’s new initiative aimed at reducing migration from Venezuela to the southwest border, claiming the program hurts more vulnerable migrants and ignores U.S. asylum obligations.

Under the initiative, part of a bilateral deal with the Mexican government announced Wednesday evening, Mexico agreed to accept Venezuelan migrants sent back from the United States. That will allow border agents to rapidly expel those migrants without considering their claims for asylum.

Melina Roche, campaign manager for Welcome With Dignity, part of the Women’s Refugee Commission, said it “does feel like there is some backtracking happening ahead of the election.”