Biden will fly in 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti every month

President Joe Biden's immigration plan announced Thursday will allow up to 30,000 asylum seekers from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti into the country per month, while 'rapidly' expelling just as many back to Mexico if they illegally cross the border. 

In a lunchtime speech from the Roosevelt Room, Biden outlined the new plan and confirmed that he would be making his first border trip as president, visiting El Paso, Texas on Sunday ahead of the 'three amigos' summit in Mexico on Monday and Tuesday.  

'We can't stop people from making the journey. But we can require them to come here in an orderly way under U.S. law,' Biden said. 

Asked if he believed migration was a human right, Biden said he did believe so 'if your family is being persecuted.' 

'I know it was a human right for, you know, Jews in Germany to be able to get to escape and get help where they could,' Biden said, pointing to the Holocaust. 'But the other side of this is - there's also, the people in this country have basic rights, that are here.'

To Biden that meant not allowing 'criminals' into the country and ensuring that immigrants' background checks were 'real.'  

The president explained that cell phone apps would be used to streamline the immigration process. 

Migrants making asylum claims will have to download an app called 'CBPOne' and make an appointment outside the country before showing up at a U.S. port of entry. 

Migrants can also use the U.S.'s parole program to have someone inside of the country sponsor them. 

They would then go through a background check, Biden explained, and if their application is approved they would use the same 'CBPOne' app and present that at a port of entry, including airports. 

They would be able to work in the U.S. legally for two years after that. 

'That's the process,' Biden said. 'But if their application is denied, or they attempt to cross into the United States unlawfully, they'll be returned back to Mexico and will not be eligible for this program after that.' 

The parole program was originally set up to deal with Venezuelan border crossers, but Biden announced it would be expanded to those fleeing Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti. 

'My message is this: If you're trying to leave Cuba, Nicaragua or Haiti ... do not, do not just show up at the border. Stay where you are and apply legally from there,' Biden instructed. 

He also said that Mexico had agreed to take as many as 30,000 migrant border crossers back every month.  

Biden will meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Mexico after his long delayed trip to the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday.

Biden said the delay was due to waiting to see how the courts would treat Title 42, the COVID-19 pandemic order that allowed for quick expulsion of migrants. 

'I wanted to make sure that I knew what the outcome or at least the near outcome was on Title 42 before I went down,' Biden said.

Last month, the Supreme Court blocked the lifting of Title 42, while the high court considers the case. 

Republican have called on Biden for months to make the trek. 

'Republicans haven't been serious about this at all, come on,' the president said, when a reporter mentioned the GOP's demand.  

Biden pushed Republicans - who took over the House majority on Tuesday, though are still without a speaker - to work with him to get new immigration laws passed.

'We need more resources to secure the border, yet again extreme Republicans have said no,' Biden complained. 'But if the extreme Republicans continue to demagogue on this issue ... I'm left with only one choice, to act on my own.'

Vice President Kamala Harris - who is charged with dealing with the 'Northern Triangle' countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras - stood over Biden's right shoulder. 

He praised her several times throughout the speech and at one point seemingly called her 'President Harris.'

Biden had teased a trip to the border Wednesday while traveling to and from Ohio and Kentucky to tout his bipartisan infrastructure law. 

'That's my intention, we're working out the details now,' he said on tarmac as he departed the Cincinnati area when asked if a border trip would be happening ahead of his trip to Mexico City. 

Upon landing at the White House he said he hoped to see 'peace and security' at the southern border. 

'No, I'm going to see what is going on. I'm going to be making a speech tomorrow on border security and you'll hear more about it tomorrow,' he said.