U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated in a press conference in Arizona that immigration agents are "trained" to identify asylum seekers when asked about how migrants are returned to México despite wanting to request asylum. "
"DHS officials are well-trained to listen for and recognize expressions of fear", he said, adding that "we (the DHS) comply with asylum law and we comply with enforcement laws as well."
Under the new asylum restrictions imposed on June 5, individuals who cross without authorization must express a fear of being returned to their countries in order to apply for some form of protection in the U.S. These regulations prevent most detained migrants from accessing asylum but allow a few exceptions for those who have been victims of human trafficking, have severe health emergencies, or face imminent threats to their life or safety.
The new rules require that individuals who actively express this fear to immigration authorities be referred to a process known as a "credible fear interview," where they are questioned to determine if they can apply for protection in the U.S.
However, various organizations working with migrants along the border have reported speaking with dozens of people who have been expelled to Mexico despite expressing fear of being deported.
AZ Central recently spoke to Pedro De Velasco, director of Kino Border Initiative, an NGO based in Nogales, Mexico who said he has interviewed dozens of migrants returned daily who claim to have expressed fear or requested asylum from the officers who detained them:
"Even after they explained to the Border Patrol agents ... they are fleeing from violence and persecution, or explicitly asking for asylum, they're being summarily ignored and deported to Mexico"
De Velasco also added that "not everybody has a valid asylum claim, but even if one person is fleeing violence or persecution, that's enough to ask that Border Patrol listens to every single one of them. The risk is that you're sending somebody to danger or you're sending somebody to death."
Although Mayorkas' comments come amidst legal challenges and ongoing humanitarian concerns at the border, he was also quick to point out how the Biden administration's new border policy has resulted in fewer people crossing the border:
"Three weeks ago, in the face of Congressional inaction, President Biden used his executive authority and suspended the entry of non-citizens across the southern border. We are imposing stricter consequences for those who cross the border without authorization. These actions are changing the calculus for those considering crossing our border,"
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