The Biden administration is considering implementing a new policy that would require unauthorized immigrants to stay in Texas after entering the country, as reported on Thursday. The aim of this policy is to ensure that immigrants are in a more favorable location for eventual deportation and to prevent the overwhelming influx of migrants into liberal-led cities across the United States. However, this proposal is expected to face opposition from both sides of the immigration debate.
Those advocating for immigrant rights are likely to object to limiting the freedom of movement for migrants. On the other hand, Texas and its conservative allies, as well as border-state officials, have argued that the state has already borne the brunt of the surge in immigration that President Biden’s policies have invited.
The policy has been referred to as “remain-in-Texas,” in reference to the previous “Remain in Mexico” policy implemented during the Trump administration. According to unnamed sources, the plan would involve assigning GPS tracking devices to migrants to ensure that they stay in close proximity to the border. However, in order to have a significant impact, the Department of Homeland Security would need to significantly increase the use of tracking devices.
Currently, the department only has 9,288 migrants fitted with ankle bracelets and 100 with GPS-tracking watches as of the end of August. This number is roughly equivalent to the number of unauthorized migrants encountered entering the country every two days. The cost of each GPS bracelet is approximately $3 per day, while the watches cost $4.50 per day.
The border situation has presented ongoing challenges for the Biden administration. Despite initial predictions that the numbers would decrease, they have continued to rise. Earlier this year, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas celebrated a temporary decline in numbers after implementing new policies to encourage scheduled arrivals. However, the border chaos has once again intensified, with historically high numbers reported for the month of August, according to The Washington Post.
