In 2023, McEvoy, on temporary assignment from USCIS to the White House as a detailee, became a key figure in the Biden administration's flawed approach to border control. Her role facilitated the introduction of policies that have not only transformed border management in a radical way but have also compromised safety, posing a direct threat to our safety.
First, McEvoy and other advisors, continually deferred the issue, expecting Congress to resolve the mass migration crisis through lenient and pro-asylum immigration laws. They claimed to lack the executive power to take action, but that assertion was misleading; Trump successfully addressed these challenges during his administration.
“President Biden has called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform since his first day in office. As a result of Congress’ failure to enact the reform, the Administration has been using the limited tools it has available to secure the border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system while leading the largest expansion of lawful pathways for immigration in decades. We also urge passage of fully funded emergency appropriations, including the supplemental funding request for border security, as requested by the President this summer. The $4 billion supplemental funding requested for DHS addresses immediate needs of the Department to safely and humanely manage the Southwest Border and to continue implementing our immigration laws through the expansion of lawful pathways and enforcing consequences for those who do not use them. DHS has also allocated more than $770 million to 69 partner organizations in Fiscal Year 2023 to support communities receiving migrants, in both the Southwest Border region and the interior, through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Awards (EFSP-H).”
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Second, Biden’s advisors pushed to end Title 42, which under Trump was successful and effective because it allowed for quick expulsions of migrants without the usual asylum processing, reduced detention time, and decreased border crossings. The Biden administration's decision to end Title 42, which was led by the immigration team in the White House, was a reckless move that exacerbated the ongoing border crisis. By removing this, the Biden Administration severely handicapped Border Patrol agents' ability to quickly expel unauthorized entrants, leading to overcrowded detention facilities and increased strain on local resources.
“On Thursday, the Biden administration lifted title 42, a pandemic-era policy that shut down virtually all avenues for migrants to seek asylum in the US. In March of 2020 then president Trump invoked the rule as a public health emergency measure, allowing for the quick expulsion of migrant sat the border. Now that Title 42 has been lifted, tens of thousands of migrants fleeing poverty, violence and political instability will be subjected to decades-old immigration laws that will allow them to stay in the country while their cases make their way through immigration court. But the process could cause a bottleneck at the border and strain federal, state and local government resources.”
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Third, White House immigration advisors guided the Biden Administration to allow illegal Venezuelan migrants awaiting asylum to work in the USA "legally" for 18 months. This decision gave jobs to migrants before citizens, without proper vetting, instead of following the law and deporting them.
The Biden administration said late Wednesday that it would allow hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already in the United States to live and work legally in the country for 18 months.
The decision followed intense advocacy by top New York Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and party leaders in Congress. It will affect about 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country before July 31, temporarily protecting them from removal and waiving a monthslong waiting period for them to seek employment authorization.
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In a joint statement, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the top Democrats in the Senate and House, said that the Homeland Security Department had estimated that roughly half the migrants currently living in New York are Venezuelans who would be affected by the decision. They called it a “welcome step forward.”
“As a result of this decision, immigrants will be temporarily allowed to work, fill needed jobs and support their families while awaiting an asylum determination,” they wrote. “The decision will also substantially reduce the cost to New York taxpayers with respect to the sheltering of asylum seekers.”
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In conclusion, McEvoy's role in the Biden-Harris administration was pivotal in orchestrating what has become a border policy debacle. Her contribution to this administration's strategy has effectively dismantled border security, ushering in an era of open borders that stands as the most insecure in our nation's history.
