Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order to restrict immigration

President Joe Biden is expected to issue a sweeping new executive order to limit migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border as early as Tuesday.

Under the proposed order, US officials could quickly deport migrants who entered the US illegally without processing their asylum claims after reaching the daily threshold, according to CBS.

That, in turn, would allow border officials to limit the number of migrants arriving, three anonymous sources briefed on the planned order told CBS, the BBC’s news partner.

More than 6.4 million migrants have been blocked from entering the US illegally under Joe Biden’s administration – a record high that leaves him politically vulnerable as he campaigns for re-election.

However, immigration has dropped sharply this year, although experts believe the trend is unlikely to be sustainable.

CBS – the BBC’s US partner – and other US news outlets have reported that Mr Biden is considering using a 1952 law that allows for limited access to the US asylum system.

Act 212(f) allows the US President to “suspend the entry” of foreigners if their arrival “harms the interests” of the country.

Similar regulations have been used by the Trump administration to ban immigration and travel from several predominantly Muslim countries and bar migrants from seeking asylum if they are caught crossing the border into the US illegally, causing accused of racism.

Asylum processing at ports of entry is expected to continue under the order. About 1,500 asylum seekers go through this process at official ports of entry each day, mostly after making appointments using a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app called CBP One.

Mayors of several border towns — including Brownsville and Edinburg, both in Texas — are expected to be in Washington for the president’s announcement.

Democratic lawmakers were also briefed on the plan.

However, the proposal will likely face opposition in the courts, from immigration advocates or from Republican-led states.

A White House official told the BBC on Friday that no final decisions had been made on possible executive actions.

In a statement, a White House spokesperson noted that a bipartisan border security agreement failed earlier this year due to opposition from Republicans in Congress.

“While Republicans in Congress choose to obstruct additional border enforcement, President Biden will relentlessly fight to provide the resources that border agents need,” the spokesperson said. and immigration is needed to secure our borders.”

The spokesperson added: “As we have said previously, the administration continues to explore a range of policy options and we remain committed to taking action to address our weak immigration system ”.

Republicans criticized Biden’s border plan as an election-year ruse and said US laws already exist to stop illegal immigration, but they are not implemented by the Democratic president valid exam.

News of the potential executive order comes as the number of migrants detained at the US-Mexico border drops.

Statistics recently released by CBP show that approximately 179,000 migrant “encounters” were recorded in April.

By comparison, in December the number jumped to 302,000 – a historic high.

Officials in the US and Mexico blame increased enforcement by the Mexican government as the main reason, although many experts warn that the cuts are unlikely to last long.

The drop in the number of migrants crossing the US border comes at a politically fraught time for President Biden.

Polls show immigration is the top election concern for many voters in November’s presidential election.

A Gallup poll in late April found that 27% of Americans consider immigration the most important issue facing the country, ahead of the economy and inflation.

A separate poll by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in March found that two-thirds of Americans now disapprove of Mr. Biden’s handling of the border issue, including about 40 % of Democratic voters.