The Biden administration is facing criticism for its quiet expansion of refugee status to economic migrants throughout Latin America, a move immigration expert Todd Bensman described as “refugeeising” migrants from countries traditionally excluded from such programs. Speaking on Steve Bannon’s War Room, Bensman warned that this policy could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. immigration.

“Ramping up started this spring where they are refugeeising economic migrants throughout Latin America,” Bensman explained. “What I mean by ‘refugeeising’ is that they are applying refugee status to countries and people that they’ve never given it to before.”

The policy, according to Bensman, marks a significant departure from past U.S. refugee practices. “We don’t normally give refugee status to Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans,” he said. Historically, refugee status has been reserved for people fleeing war zones like Syria or Congo, but now it’s being used for economic migrants. “This is a way to fly them in at taxpayer expense, and they’re legal permanent residents right away.”

The Biden administration has already flown in tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, Bensman noted. Under the program, entire families can board commercial flights to the U.S. on what Bensman called “travel loans” provided by the U.S. State Department. “These are backed by U.S. taxpayer funds, and there’s no interest and no penalty for not paying it back,” he said. “It’s essentially a giveaway.”

To accommodate this influx, Bensman highlighted that the administration has raised the refugee cap to 125,000—a stark increase compared to previous years. “This is being done under the radar,” Bensman argued. “It’s an invisible immigration program, except that this one is technically legal.”

The conversation shifted to a significant development in Panama, where the new president has pledged to close the Darien Gap, a treacherous migration route connecting South and Central America. According to Bensman, Panama is planning to repatriate migrants, but U.S. support for these efforts has been inadequate.

CRUSHING AMERICAN SOVERGINITY

“They cut a deal with the Biden administration on inauguration day to pay for these repatriation flights,” Bensman said. However, the financial and logistical backing promised by the U.S. has fallen short. “The Panamanians are now saying, ‘Hey, the Americans welshed.'”

Bensman pointed out that the deterrent effect of these repatriation flights has been minimal. “The Americans are telling us they won’t let anybody get on a repatriation flight unless they volunteer,” he said. “All the migrants I met are undeterred—they’re still coming.”

While the Panamanian government has begun sending some flights back to Colombia, Bensman emphasized that the real issue is not criminal migrants but the massive flow of economic migrants. “You’re not deterring the right people. These are economic migrants, and they’re coming in increasing numbers,” he warned.

Bensman’s full report on the Darien Gap, along with his findings from his recent trip, is set to be released by the Center for Immigration Studies. As U.S. immigration policies continue to shift, the impact of these developments will be closely watched by both critics and advocates.

For more from Todd Bensman watch the full WarRoom segment:

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