Venezuelan nationals who cross the border illegally will be swiftly returned to their home country, senior Biden Administration officials announced Thursday.

Effective immediately, the officials said Venezuelans who cross the “border unlawfully, are processed and found not to have a legal basis to remain” will be placed on removal flights. Venezuelan authorities have agreed to accept their returned residents.

What You Need To Know

  • Venezuela nationals who enter the U.S. illegally will be immediately sent back, the Biden Administration announced Thursday

  • The policy takes effect immediately

  • Senior administration officials said they have already identified individuals who do not meet legal requirements to stay and will be directly repatriated

  • Last month, the administration said 472,000 Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. who are already living here will be allowed to legally work in the country

“This reflects a longstanding approach by the Biden-Harris administration that balances historic expansions of safe, orderly, lawful pathways with harsh consequences for those who seek to cross our border irregularly,” one official said. “This is also consistent with our approach of conducting repatriation to countries all over the world following the processing of their claims to ensure that those who have protection needs are able to stay.”

In September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended more than 200,000 migrants who had illegally crossed into the U.S. at the country’s Southern border. It was the highest monthly total so far this year.

Since May 12, administration officials said they had removed 295,000 individuals from the country and permitted more than 66,000 to enter through the Department of Homeland Security Case Management Pilot Program. That program provides voluntary case management to noncitizens as an alternative to detention while they await the outcomes of immigration proceedings.

“We urge all migrants who are thinking of coming to the U.S. to avail themselves of lawful pathways,” one senior official said. “Do not enter the Darien jungle. Do not take the extraordinarily dangerous journey only to be returned to Venezuela.”

The officials said border agents had already identified Venezuelans in their custody who entered the country after July 31 who will be removed in the coming days. All of the individuals have gone through the U.S. immigration system and were not able to prove they had a legal basis to remain in the country.

Thursday’s announcement comes just two weeks after the Biden administration said it would grant Temporary Protected Status to 472,000 Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. who are already living in the country. Those individuals will be allowed to legally work for 18 months.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Homeland Security Advisor to the President Liz Sherwood-Randall met with government officials from Mexico, Colombia and Panama in Mexico City to discuss ongoing efforts to address migration in the Western hemisphere.

“Our partners continue to make critical progress in expanding legal pathways so individuals are not compelled to make the journey north,” one official said Thursday.