It should be mentioned that some Democrats are attacking the bill, arguing that it sells out our commitment to international human rights ideals. And yes, the compromise is extremely problematic in many ways. It’s awful to contemplate what Trump might do as president with the authority to shut down asylum seeking if certain migration thresholds are reached. This, plus the more stringent bar to getting asylum, do threaten core Democratic values.
However, this is not a simple calculation for Democrats, and it’s clear why some might see reasons to support it. Those investments in asylum processing would give Biden tools to make the system function better (though serious questions remain about how quickly this would happen). Importantly, the bill would also provide immediate work permits to enable migrants who pass the initial asylum screening to get jobs, potentially meaning fewer crowding homeless shelters in urban liberal strongholds.
As I’ve argued, a reasonable compromise could involve conceding restrictions on asylum in exchange for legalizing the “Dreamers” and others here legally and wider pathways for migrants to apply for entry from abroad. The goal should be to shift incentives toward that way of migrating, so fewer show up at the border seeking asylum and straining resources.