The Biden administration has been preparing for months to issue an executive order aimed at stemming the flow of migrants reaching the southern border, but implementation has dragged on as the government prepares for legal challenges, political backlash and enforcement shortages, Axios reported on Monday.
The order is now expected to be announced in the next few weeks. The main issue now is finding the language to implement the measure without getting shut down by courts or seeing a revolt from the Democratic party's progressive sector, the outlet added.
Despite the potential risks, the Biden administration is expected to move on with the measures, especially as immigration enforcement has become a central issue in the presidential campaign.
The White House has already notified senior Capitol Hill aides that they will soon brief them on the plans.
Speaking to Spanish-language broadcaster Univision last week, Biden said his administration is "examining whether or not" he has the "power" to bypass Congress and implement the measures.
"When the border has over 5,000 people a day trying to cross the border because you can't manage it, slow it up. There's no guarantee that I have that power all by myself without legislation. And some have suggested I should just go ahead and try it. And if i get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court. But they're trying to work through that right now," Biden told journalist Enrique Acevedo.
The provision Biden is looking into would make it harder for immigrants to request asylum in the country, something that doesn't require congressional approval.
Other measures currently being considered are: a sweeping presidential authority that allows him to "suspend the entry" of foreigners when it is determined that their arrival is not in the best interest of the country; and the ability to turn asylum seekers away if they cross illegally.
Biden's harder stance comes as polls have shown for months that the surge in immigration is among voters' main concerns as elections get closer by the day, even topping the list in many cases.
Most of them disapprove of the way the president is handling the issue, including almost three quarter of Latinos, according to a recent AP-NORC survey.
These answers are consistent with figures showing an increased concern with immigration from the entire electorate, Latinos included.
64% of respondents in an Axios-Ipsos poll said they support giving the president authority to shut down the border if there are too many migrants trying to enter the country, while 62% said that improving border security is important for the government to prioritize. 70% said the same thing for reforming the immigration system.
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