With the COVID-19 ’emergency’ finally coming to an end, Title 42 will be lifted on May 11th.
Thousands of migrants are reportedly waiting at the U.S. southern border to surge into the country upon the lifting of the Trump-era public health policy.
As the end of Title 42 approaches, the Biden administration has approved sending 1,500 active duty U.S. troops to the border.
According to reports, the troops would serve 90 days to free up resources for U.S. Border Patrol and law enforcement.
BREAKING: The Biden administration has requested 1,500 troops for the U.S.-Mexico border amid an expected migrant surge following the end of pandemic-era restrictions, three administration officials tell @AP. https://t.co/LjZyBavdXn
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 2, 2023
BREAKING – US to deploy 1,500 more troops to Mexico border: Pentagonhttps://t.co/FK594VIECn
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 2, 2023
Fox News reported:
Officials said the troop deployment would be similar to deployments to the border ordered by former President Donald Trump. The troops would be armed for self-defense but would not assist with law enforcement.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously warned migrants that illegal entry into the U.S. “will result in removal.” The Biden administration is encouraging migrants to use the CBP One app to schedule appointments at points of entry where their asylum claims can be processed.
The reality of the government’s response to the migrant crisis doesn’t reflect the Biden administration’s official position. While many are returned currently due to the Title 42 order – which allows for the rapid removal of migrants at the border due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – not all who enter illegally have been returned via the order.
CBP statistics show that only about 46% of migrant encounters at the border resulted in a Title 42 expulsion. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified to Senate lawmakers last month that of the nearly 1.3 million migrants in FY 2022 who were processed via Title 8, only about 360,000 were deported.
The New York Post noted the amount of migrants intending to seek asylum as Title 42 comes to an end.
Over the last few days, the Border Patrol has recorded tens of thousands of migrants crossing the southern border illegally as the Title 42 enforcement period winds down.
The Post revealed last week that around 40,000 migrants who intend to seek asylum in the US are gathered in Juarez, Mexico, waiting to enter El Paso, Texas once the policy expires.
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said Monday that in the three days prior, agents had made 22,220 apprehensions, including two sex offenders, one convicted murderer and one gang member.
Agents had also seized 806 pounds of methamphetamine, 283 pounds of marijuana, 62 pounds of cocaine and three firearms.
More than 2 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the southern border and returned to Mexico under the policy, which was enacted by then-President Donald Trump at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Trump administration deployed more than 5,000 active-duty troops to the southern border in October 2018 to counter a caravan of at least 3,500 Central American migrants traveling north.
Trump described the group at the time as carrying out an “invasion of our country.”
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