As the South Carolina Republican Primary comes to a close, with Trump winning over Haley’s state, the dispute over immigration laws comes up once again.

President Biden has claimed before that he may move ahead with the plan of blocking people who illegally cross through the United States by declaring asylum.

These illegal crossers usually come from the southern border with dreams of working and going to the “land of opportunities,” as many would describe the United States.

Contrary to numerous beliefs, not all of them smuggle themselves or sneak inside the country; instead, they turn themselves into border agents.

This will allow them to be taken to a processing facility and apply for asylum, which is now considered the safest way to get in and stay in the United States of America.

Normally, this would not be a significant issue, as border agents would simply check them in and decide whether or not they are allowed asylum.

However, because of the current issue of mass migration, this is not an option.

Now, those seeking jobs and opportunities state their case for why they should be allowed asylum, whether that means stating a weak asylum claim or not.

According to a New York Time newspaper article, these asylum claims can revolve around a threat of danger or harm due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a specific group.

Due to the sheer number of claims and cases, though, the asylum agents are unable to get through them all, especially with only a small number on their own team.

Migrants, after initial screening, are assigned a court date that could amount to weeks, months, or even years.

Some are even released without initial screening as a result of the significantly large groups that arrive every single day.

This would allow citizenship for these migrants for a temporary time, which could even amount to a year, giving them time to seek jobs which would grant them a work permit.

This work permit would allow them to stay in the country even after they may be rejected asylum.

These issues of illegal immigration have increased over the years, now becoming a very serious topic that must be dealt with, according to statistics from YouGov.

In fact, in the survey of 1,000 Americans, around 50% had answered with this opinion.

Numerous Democratic-led states are unhappy with this, as illegal immigrants are now piling into places such as Chicago and New York.

This has led them to demand stronger border control.

However, a vast number of Democrats are very against the idea of Biden shutting down asylum, and the fact that he is pushing for the policies Trump had advocated for during his presidency.

According to an article titled “Biden Tries to Flip the Politics of Immigration” by the New York Times, Democrats believe “so many people are trying to come to the United States is a fundamental violation of the country’s decades-old commitment to be a refuge for those seeking safety and a better life.”

There are currently mixed opinions about these issues in the United States, which may possibly alter the results of who wins the 2024 Presidential Election.

Chaewon Lee

Grade 9

Seoul Foreign School