McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- A bipartisan political organization has suggested several reforms to U.S. immigration and border security policies to reduce illegal crossings on the Southwest border, and to stop migration from its source. Border Report Live: Border communities scramble as Trump’s return to office nears FWD.us this week published the 44-page report, "A Better Way Forward," in anticipation of the incoming Trump administration. The white paper is written by Andrea Flores, a former policy adviser in the Obama and Biden administrations who says repeated failures by current immigration policies cause cyclical security challenges at the border. “By the time someone makes the choice to migrate irregularly to the United States, the government has already missed multiple opportunities to help them avoid a dangerous and life-threatening journey. To take advantage of these opportunities, the U.S. needs a new legal regime that does not merely react once people have reached the border, but instead addresses the forces and processes that draw people to the border in the first place,” said Flores, vice president of immigration policy and campaigns at FWD.us. Suggestions include: A targeted and strategic foreign policy response to reduce irregular cross-border movement. Key is the U.S. taking the lead to lower the number of migrants trekking north to the border. Expanding access to humanitarian and labor pathways closer to countries of origin where migrants come from. This includes providing jobs and humanitarian protections in the region. Creating new legal pathways to the United States and incentivizing use of these pathways. Modernizing border security infrastructure and asylum processing. This includes receiving asylum-seekers through an orderly appointment process and protecting border communities from security threats. Reforming the U.S. asylum system to include fast and fair adjudication. This includes clearing the 3.7 million backlogged immigration cases. Creating a federal resettlement process for asylum-seekers who are allowed into the United States and matching them with a community that has the resources to support them without creating displaced American workers. The report notes a declining U.S. population and says migration can help to fill key jobs, but must be done in a safe and orderly way. Border business leaders brace for ‘Trump effect’ "Like many nations with aging populations, the U.S. stands to benefit greatly from the desire ofmigrants seeking opportunity here. Indeed, the health of the American economy depends on it," the report says. (FWD.us GRAPHIC) "Changing our approach to border policy is a necessary step, as policymakers must rebuild public trust and unlock the political space to address other pressing immigration issues, such as creating a path to citizenship for the longtime undocumented," according to the report. FWD.us President Todd Schulte calls the report "an evidence-based blueprint to seize the opportunities of migration and manage the challenges of irregular migration." (FWD.us GRAPHIC) Adding and improving legal pathways to citizenship is key to stop irregular migration, the report says. "Part of the reason for the increased number of people seeking asylum is that migrants have noviable legal pathways to avoid embarking on the dangerous journey to the border. Additionally,conditions throughout the Americas have led to a record 25 million people being forcibly displaced by political, economic, and environmental conditions." TPS extended for immigrants from 4 countries The report advises against putting "arbitrary caps" on the number of asylum-seekers processed at the border. In June, the Biden administration implemented asylum policies that restrict asylum eligibility when daily encounters exceed 2,500 on the southern border. "Extreme weather events, repressive governments, regional conflicts, and other extraordinaryconditions can trigger increases in migration to our border that require our border processes toquickly screen the cases of thousands of people in a short period of time. We need a set of policies and processes that allows the United States to do both." the report said. On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced an extension of Temporary Protected Service for 18 months to migrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine and Sudan. DHS on Friday also announced that on Jan. 6 the United States sent a large deportation flight full of migrants to China. DHS says foreign outreach allowed the flight and that there has been a drop in Chinese-nationals encountered at the U.S. border -- down 62% from 2,160 in June to 820 in December. "DHS is enforcing U.S. immigration laws and delivering tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully or without authorization. This includes swiftly returning those without a legal basis to remain in the United States, while encouraging the use of safe, lawful, and orderly pathways; holding transnational criminal networks accountable for abusing our lawful trade and travel systems; and preventing the smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people," DHS said in a statement. Sandra Sanchez can be reached at [email protected].