White House announces new immigration rules

WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing bipartisan criticism over its approach to immigration, the Biden administration has announced new rules that require authorities to only pursue migrants who recently crossed into the country without permission – or are considered a threat to public safety.

The new guidelines replace interim rules issued in February that were initially blocked by a federal judge in August as part of a lawsuit brought by Texas and Louisiana.

They break from a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement under former President Donald Trump, who early in his presidency directed authorities to apprehend anyone who was illegally in the country.

The release comes as President Joe Biden has come under fire from allies for his reliance on a Trump-era public health authority to rapidly expel migrants encountered on the U.S.-Mexico border.

He has also faced Republican criticism that he hasn’t done enough to counter a sharp increase in migrants seeking to enter the country, including 5,000 Haitians who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks.

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