Biden Administration's Newest Efforts to Criminalize Migration

On May 31, 2024 the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it plans to use more resources and expand collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase immigration-related criminal prosecutions. Punishing people for coming to the United States does not prevent people from trying, because people are coming for life-or-death reasons or to be with their loved ones. Instead, these prosecutions will only serve to prevent asylum-seekers from seeking protection in the United States – which is their right – and to fuel the mass incarceration of Black and brown people. This Community FAQ explains why this latest effort to criminalize migration is alarming, and what the Biden administration should do instead.