The Biden administration is preparing for a large influx of immigrants at the southern border of the United States with the suspension of the measure that allowed for the immediate expulsion of foreigners crossing the border without permission.
Title 42, as the measure became known, was invoked by the Trump administration at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The rule, which allows authorities to deny entry to undocumented immigrants at U.S. land borders without any consideration of their individual cases, was justified as necessary to prevent the virus from spreading in the country.
The pandemic has been controlled, the administration has changed, but the use of Title 42 remains the primary policy for combating the entry of undocumented immigrants across the border.
After significant lobbying on behalf of immigrants, a federal judge ruled that Title 42 should be rescinded in December. Now, it is expected that the end of the policy will lead to an increase in people attempting to cross the border, as authorities will no longer be able to expel them quickly, as they have been doing since March 2020.
According to a report from CNN, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing for various scenarios, including projections of 9,000 to 14,000 migrants per day, more than double the current number of people crossing the southern border.
Last weekend, U.S. authorities apprehended more than 16,000 people. Among the cities experiencing the highest influx of migrants is El Paso, Texas.
The DHS emphasized the need for Congressional action to update immigration laws and help create a functional asylum system, as the current one is under immense pressure.
“Despite our efforts, our outdated immigration system is under strain; this is true at the federal level as well as for state, local, NGO, and community partners. In the absence of Congressional action to reform the immigration and asylum systems, a significant increase in migrants will further overwhelm our system,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN.
Source: CNN