President Joe Biden has issued a comprehensive executive order aimed at addressing the surge in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border, a politically sensitive issue in an election year. The order, which took effect at midnight, allows officials to swiftly remove migrants entering the US illegally without processing their asylum requests once a daily threshold is met, indicating that the border is “overwhelmed,” according to a White House statement.

Republicans argue that the order does not go far enough, while some Democrats and the United Nations have raised concerns. A spokeswoman for the UN’s refugee agency emphasized that those fearing persecution should have access to safe territory.

At an event on Tuesday with several border town mayors, President Biden explained, “This action will help us gain control of our border.” He criticized Republicans for failing to pass bipartisan immigration reform earlier this year and urged left-wing critics to “be patient,” adding, “We’re wearing thin right now. Doing nothing is not an option.”

The executive order aims to expedite cases and alleviate pressure on US immigration courts, but it has faced criticism from activists. Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, remarked, “It’s unfortunate that politics are driving the immigration conversation in an increasingly restrictive direction.”

During Biden’s administration, more than 6.4 million migrants have been stopped while crossing into the US illegally. Although arrival numbers have dropped this year, experts believe this trend may not continue.

Mexican media have portrayed the move as one of Biden’s toughest policies, though President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has downplayed the issue, emphasizing that economic and cultural exchange makes a border closure “impossible.” Authorities in Tijuana have expressed concerns about the fate of asylum seekers denied entry to the US, warning that shelters in the city could become overcrowded and lead to people living on the streets, “sleeping in tents.”

On Tuesday, about a dozen advocates and Democratic lawmakers held a press conference outside the US Capitol to criticize President Joe Biden’s recent executive order on border policy. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, expressed her “profound disappointment” with the executive action, calling it a “step in the wrong direction.” However, other Democrats, including Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, acknowledged there was still “more work to do.”

The campaign for Donald Trump, Biden’s Republican challenger, argued that the order “is for amnesty, not border security.” Following the president’s announcement, the White House stated that the new order “will be in effect when high levels of encounters at the southern border exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, as is the case today.”

The actions announced on Tuesday include the use of a 1952 law that restricts access to the American asylum system. Known as 212(f), the law allows a US president to “suspend the entry” of foreigners if their arrival is deemed “detrimental to the interests” of the country. This regulation was previously used by the Trump administration to ban immigration and travel from several predominantly Muslim countries and to bar migrants from asylum if they were apprehended crossing into the US illegally, provoking accusations of racism.

“While there’s no question the US needs to better address challenges at the border, the use of 212(f) authority is concerning,” said Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum.