A new immigration policy that avoids a dangerous journey is working. But border crossings continue

By GISELA SALOMON and COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (AP) — Migrants are arriving in the U.S. under the Biden administration’s new “safe mobility offices,” set up in Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador. The idea is to streamline the U.S. refugee process so migrants don’t give up and pay smugglers to make the journey north. Since the initiative began last summer, there have been roughly 9,000 approvals. And the White House says 3,000 refugees have come to the U.S. But it’s hardly made a dent in illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. There were more than 10,000 arrests per day over many days in December.