Title 42 Immigration Policy Set to Expire Thursday — Here’s What It Means for the DMV
Washington, D.C.
is facing the possibility of a humanitarian crisis as the expiration of Title 42 approaches.
This pandemic-era policy, implemented by the Trump administration, allowed the United States to quickly expel immigrants at the border citing health concerns.
However, as Thursday marks the end of Title 42, the situation at the border is expected to change significantly.
Alejandro Mayorkis, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has issued a warning against illegal crossings into the U.S.
as officials prepare for a potential influx of tens of thousands of migrants at the southern border.
Title 42, which gave officials the authority to turn away immigrants due to the pandemic, is now being replaced by Title 8.
This new policy will require officials to process each asylum claim, potentially overwhelming an already strained border system.
Estimates suggest that around 150,000 migrants are currently camped out in northern Mexico, with more expected to head towards the border.
Just last night, a busload of migrants arrived in Washington, D.C., having been transported from Texas and dropped off near the Vice President’s residence in the northwest area of the city.
However, local shelters in the D.C.
area are running out of space to accommodate the increasing number of migrants.
Three hotels in the city have been designated for housing migrant families, but the Office of Migrant Services has already stopped accepting new arrivals this month.
Currently, there are approximately 370 families, totaling around 1,200 individuals, spread across the city.
To prepare for the anticipated surge of migrants, hundreds of U.S.
troops are being deployed to the Mexican border.
The expiration of Title 42 at midnight is expected to lead to tougher consequences for illegal border crossings.
The Department of Homeland Security emphasizes that this does not indicate an open border policy but rather stricter enforcement.
Advocacy groups, such as CASA, are calling on President Biden to uphold his campaign promise of ending restrictions on asylum seekers.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, local authorities express their limited ability to provide assistance, stating that only Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County have the responsibility and resources to address the situation.
The D.C.
Council recently passed legislation to increase access to district resources for migrants.
However, just days ago, a dozen families were turned away at the D.C.
Welcome Center, highlighting the challenges of accommodating the growing number of arrivals.
As the expiration of Title 42 looms, the DMV region braces for the potential arrival of more migrant families without a place to stay, raising concerns about the ability to address this mounting humanitarian crisis.
