An internal Border Patrol memo obtained by Fox News instructs San Diego-sector agents to release single adults from all but six Eastern Hemisphere countries and classify them as “hard to remove” or “very hard to remove.”
The memo came after President Biden issued an executive order banning asylum. The majority of illegal immigrants It came into effect last week.
President Biden announced the order. “I’m going to overcome Republican obstruction and use the executive powers that I have as president to do what I can to address this issue at the border,” Trump said on Tuesday.
The memo, first reported by The Washington Examiner’s Anna Giarritelli, details that it instructs agents to process all single adults from the Eastern Hemisphere through “NTA/OR” (Notice to Appear/Remand) except for immigrants from Russia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan, which are subject to “mandatory referral” countries.
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Fox News obtained an internal Border Patrol memo sent to San Diego sector agents directing them to release single adults from all but six Eastern Hemisphere countries. (Bill Melgin/Fox News)
Since there are more than 100 countries in the Eastern Hemisphere, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) President Biden’s Threats The promise and outcome of removing immigrants crossing the border illegally under the new executive order is that the vast majority of migrants in the San Diego area will be released into the United States.
A senior Border Patrol official told Fox News’ Bill Melgin that this was a localized directive issued to the San Diego sector because of the unique nationalities encountered there.
The official said this is not a guideline from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or the Department of Homeland Security covering the entire border.
CBP officials said that if these migrants were released into the U.S., they would still be ineligible for asylum and would not be able to apply for asylum.
There are many countries that the U.S. government considers “rebellious” and refuses to cooperate with U.S. deportation flights and to allow their citizens to return home.
The Department of Homeland Security, in a backgrounder call with reporters on Friday, acknowledged that it would be difficult to rule out specific Eastern Hemisphere countries, but that it is working with those countries, including China, to gain their cooperation.
Border officials noted that while many Eastern Hemisphere nationals are released with court dates set because their home countries won’t cooperate with deportations in the San Diego area, two-thirds of those encountered in the San Diego area are migrants from Western Hemisphere countries where deportation is easier, such as Colombia and Ecuador, and many of them are subject to quick deportation. Authorities added that thousands of illegal immigrants from those Western Hemisphere countries have already been deported or returned since the order took effect.
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The memo was sent after President Biden’s executive order banning asylum for most illegal immigrants went into effect last week. (Bill Melgin/Fox News)
CBP officials said they “fully understand” that expanding implementation of Biden’s executive order will take time, and that they will continue to negotiate with uncooperative countries to begin accepting their citizens.
They also acknowledged that many of those Eastern Hemisphere counties will continue to receive releases into the San Diego area until a deal is reached, and said there is only so much an executive order can do.
Video recorded by Fox News continues to show Border Patrol buses releasing hundreds of migrants at a San Diego trolley station almost daily.
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Migrants line up at the southern border in San Diego on June 6, 2024. (Fox News)
A presidential proclamation that would temporarily halt migrant entry across the southern border if border encounters exceed a seven-day daily average of 2,500, officials said, prompted the Homeland Security and Justice departments to enact rules that would raise the bar for asylum.
However, there are a number of important exceptions to this rule.
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The rule does not apply to legal immigrants, unaccompanied children or people determined to be “severe trafficking victims,” nor does it apply to people who make reservations through the CBP One app at ports of entry, where about 1,500 people enter the country each day.
There are also exceptions to the rule that allow entry “after taking into consideration significant circumstances justifying the admission of an alien, such as law enforcement, police officers, public safety, urgent humanitarian interests, or public health interests.”
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
