WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is restarting the process of deporting Venezuelans who cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, part of attempts to curb a record number of migrant crossings.
President Joe Biden has faced historic illegal border crossings, fueled by a sharp rise in recent years of migrants fleeing economic and political turmoil in Venezuela.
“This again shows how we are committed to imposing consequences on those who cross the border unlawfully,” a senior official told reporters. The new policy takes immediate effect.
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have trekked through the treacherous jungle region known as the Darien Gap to reach the U.S.-Mexico border in the past two years.
The official, who spoke on the grounds they not be identified, said the move was “a direct consequence of these individuals not having availed themselves of the lawful pathways that we have created and expanded” to allow people to stay.
The Biden administration has opened up a program granting humanitarian parole to Venezuelans who apply from abroad and have U.S. sponsors.
Last month, Washington said it would grant temporary deportation relief and access to work permits to nearly half a million Venezuelans already in the country as of end-July.
Frosty diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Venezuela had made it difficult for the U.S. to deport Venezuelans to their home country. U.S. officials said they could not discuss specific discussions with Venezuela about why they agreed to accept the deportations
In Caracas, the Venezuelan ministry of communications did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke, writing by David Ljunggren; editing by Grant McCool)
