WASHINGTON – Asylum and other legal routes of migration should be easily accessible to those who need them, and this administration is committed to examining asylum applications fairly and efficiently. People who do not seek protection or who do not qualify will be returned to their country of origin immediately.
Consistent with that approach, the Department of Homeland Security today resumed expedited return flights for certain families who recently arrived at the southern border, cannot be expelled under Title 42, and have no legal basis to reside in the United States. Families arrested by Customs and Border Protection have been deported to their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras through US Immigration and Customs Services.
The expedited deportation process is a legitimate means of securely administering our border, and it is a step towards our broader goal of achieving safe and orderly immigration management. By placing in expedited deportation families who cannot be expelled under Title 42, we are making it clear that those who do not qualify to remain in the United States will be deported promptly.
The Biden-Harris administration is working to ensure safe, orderly, and humane migration in North and Central America, including by expanding legal routes into the United States. The DHS recently expanded the program for Central American minors and made 6,000 H-2B visas available to Central Americans.
Irregular immigration to the United States is dangerous and can have long-term immigration consequences. The journey is particularly dangerous for families and children, including young people.