USA News: Judge blocks Trump’s birthright repeal

Trump describes the influx of migrants at the southern border as an “invasion” and has declared a national emergency – as a basis for further measures. He cites a constitutional article that obliges the federal government to protect the states from an “invasion.” However, constitutional lawyers are critical of this interpretation because the term traditionally refers to military attacks, not migration.

The new government wants to massively restrict the ability of those seeking protection to enter the USA. An app that made it easier for migrants from Central and South America to arrange asylum application appointments with border authorities was switched off and planned appointments were canceled. An admission program for particularly vulnerable people from crisis countries such as Afghanistan was suspended, as was a humanitarian exemption for certain people seeking protection from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua. There are only a few legal routes left.

At the same time, the government is focusing on sealing the border with Mexico by continuing to build the wall, which was one of the central promises of Trump’s first term in office and has not yet been completed. In addition, 1,500 additional soldiers have already been sent for border protection. More could follow.

Anyone who manages to cross the border despite all the hurdles and is picked up by the authorities will no longer be released until the asylum procedure is completed. So far, those affected have usually been released quickly to await their trials in the USA. In the future, they should remain in custody until the final decision is made. Given the massively overloaded immigration courts, this could mean a wait of several years for many of those affected.