President Trump announced measures to overhaul an asylum system in crisis, including limiting people from working in the United States until their cases are heard.
In a presidential memorandum he signed Monday, Trump proposed charging a fee to apply for asylum in an effort to blunt the flow of migrants coming across the border from Mexico.
The asylum-seekers would also be charged a fee for employment-authorization applications. No work permits would be granted before the applications are approved.
In addition, Trump directed his attorney general and acting homeland security secretary to take additional steps to address the crisis.
It was not clear how much the migrants would be asked to pay.
Trump also gave officials 90 days to come up with new regulations to ensure that applications are adjudicated within 180 days of filing.
According to recent figures from Syracuse University, the number of cases backlogged in immigration courts topped 800,000 in November of last year.
Although Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) agreed that the immigration backlog must be addressed, she blasted the president’s ideas for deterrence.
“Simply making it harder to claim asylum in the United States is not the answer,” Roybal-Allard said on Tuesday.