Biden prepares to unveil new asylum change

Biden administration officials are readying to publish a new rule to more rapidly reject some migrants from asylum soon after crossing the border, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It is one of several actions being weighed by President Biden to clamp down on illegal border crossings ahead of the election, as Biden and Democrats try to go on offense on one of their most vulnerable issues.

The proposed rule, which could be published as soon Thursday, would allow immigration officials to bar migrants from asylum within days — if not hours — of them illegally crossing the border, three sources familiar told Axios. The process can currently take years.

It would target people who are considered national security risks, sources said, and could put more migrants in fast-tracked deportation. This comes at a time when Republicans have been tying immigration to crime spikes.