AMNA NAWAZ: The Biden administration# proposed a change to the U.S. asylum## system today that would expedite# the removal of certain migrants.## The regulation under consideration would# apply to migrants with criminal histories## or deemed as national security risks# who would be unlikely to receive asylum.

Following all of this is our White# House correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez.

Laura, you spoke with some Homeland# Security Department officials earlier## today who briefed you on this change.

What# did they share with you about the plan?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, a senior DHS# official essentially said that this## change allows asylum officers to take# into consideration if they think that## a migrant may be a threat to public# safety, a threat to national security## at an earlier stage of that asylum process# than is previously allowed under the law.

Currently, under the law, asylum --# currently, in the asylum process,## those potential threats are taken# into consideration when they're## deciding -- when the government is deciding# whether or not a migrant can be granted## asylum.

But it's typically when they're in court# facing a judge, have a lawyer by their side.

This makes it so that would be possible# during the credible fear interview stage,## which happens within the first one to two days of## a migrant arriving.

So that's the big# change here, Amna, is to the timeline.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, do any of the measures# or proposals announced today, do they## have any impact on the southern border right now?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, that proposed rule won't# have an immediate impact, because it's a proposal.

And so, of course, it has to go through# the process that all regulations have## to go through.

But the DHS official who# spoke to reporters today said that the## administration believes that they will# go through this regulation, the process,## expeditiously, that it could very well be# finalized before the November election.

And one other thing, though, that the Homeland## Security Department announced today# that would take effect immediately, Amna, is new guidance that was issued to asylum# officers, a revised guidance that says that,## during, again, that credible fear interview,# which happens within the first few days of a## migrant arriving and whether or not they're# determining if they are granted asylum,## during that interview, asylum officers can now# try to figure out whether or not those migrants## can be relocated internally to the country# that they came from safely, and if they can## safely return to the country that they're from and# live there and not fear violence or retribution.

And that's something that initially was# not something that asylum officers did## that early in the stage.

So that's something# that is going to have an immediate effect.

One thing I want to say, though, about that# proposed regulation, Amna, and when it does## take effect, is that the experts that I spoke# to said that it may only impact a small number## of migrants.

The DHS official did not want to tell# us an exact estimate of how many migrants it would## impact, but the legal immigration experts that I# spoke to said that it would be a small percentage.

AMNA NAWAZ: So what about the timing of all of# this, Laura?

What does your reporting show you## about why the Biden administration# would propose these changes now?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As we both reported,# Amna, President Biden has been considering## unilateral actions because of the fact that# his efforts to negotiate with Congress,## to seek out a bipartisan border agreement# totally failed because Republicans killed it,## despite the fact that he was# trying to sign on to one of## the most conservative bills that# they have considered in decades.

And so the DHS senior official told us today that# they're clear-eyed about executive actions.

They## know that they don't solve all the problems, but# because there has been no action in Congress,## they felt that they needed to take this# step.

And they are also consistently## reviewing other steps that they could# potentially take in the coming months.

Now, of course, Amna, another factor# here is that it is an election year.## And President Biden has been facing a lot# of pressure, not just from Republicans,## but from also Democrats within his own# party, to take more actions on the border.

AMNA NAWAZ: So what is the reality# on the ground at the U.S. southern## border right now?

What are the# facts on the ground we know?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, what we have seen actually# in recent months, there was an increase at the end## of last year in terms of the number of migrants# encountered between ports of entry at the border.

But there has been a decline in apprehensions# at the Southwest border.

So, when you start## in December, there was more than 200,000# apprehensions at the southern border.

January,## that dropped to more than 124,000,# and then, in February, 140,000,## a slight increase there from January.

But again# it dipped in March, which is the month that we## have the most recent data for from Customs# and Border Protection to 137,000, Amna.

And the administration largely# credits actions taken by allies,## taken by the Mexican government to crack down# on immigration as well, for that dip in numbers.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, our White House# correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez,## reporting on an issue still top# of mind for many voters this year.

Laura, thank you.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.