U.S.
Braces for Surge of Migrants as Title 42 Expiration Approaches
With the expiration of the pandemic-era Title 42 policy set for May 11, cities along the southern border of the United States are preparing for a potential wave of migrants.
The policy, which led to the expulsion of nearly 3 million migrants since March 2020, is coming to an end, posing challenges for authorities.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary, acknowledges that they are facing extremely challenging circumstances.
Correspondent Evyn Moon reports live from Washington, discussing the efforts of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to keep Title 42 in place.
However, it is unlikely that such legislation will pass through the Senate this week.
Lawmakers are scrambling to find last-minute solutions to prevent what some Republicans are calling another major border crisis.
Urging President Biden to reverse course on this matter, they highlight the urgency of extending the Title 42 policy.
Less than a week remains until the expiration of Title 42, and lawmakers are grappling with an influx of migrants at the southern border.
The end of this Trump-era health policy allowed border agents to turn away migrants, a tool that was used 2.7 million times since March 2020.
The White House defends their position, stating that they have the necessary means to handle the anticipated influx.
The administration plans to enable people to enter the country and determine their eligibility for refugee status or asylum at American facilities.
The administration’s efforts to address the situation continue this week, with top immigration officials and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visiting the border.
They emphasize that the border is not open and will not be open after May 11th, countering the misinformation being spread by smugglers.
However, Republicans argue that these actions are too little, too late, after months of assurances from Vice President Harris and the administration that the border was secure.
As the fight continues up until the final hours, 11 Senate Republicans sent a letter to President Biden urging him to reverse course.
Two senators, Kirsten Sinema and Thom Tillis, are proposing a bill that would extend the core tenets of Title 42 for another two years.
Sinema believes that this would buy the Biden administration more time to develop a better plan for securing the border.
Texas Senator John Cornyn is also a co-sponsor of the bill.
Meanwhile, with the looming expiration of Title 42, the Pentagon is deploying 1,500 troops to support Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security is expanding detention capacity and deploying more asylum officers.
However, a recent update from a border colleague reveals that all facilities in the San Diego sector are at capacity, unable to house and process asylum seekers even days before the expiration of Title 42.
