The expiration of Title 42, a US policy used to restrict migrants and refugees from entering the country under the guise of public health, marks a significant shift in how the US processes migrants who reach the southern border, including those hoping to seek asylum. The policy has been widely criticized for restricting asylum rights and has resulted in 2.8 million expulsions since its implementation, including multiple turn-aways for some individuals.
With the expiration of Title 42, US officials expect a sharp increase in migrant arrivals, and Border Patrol anticipates potential records for daily migrant arrivals. The Biden administration has unveiled policies to deter migration and expand opportunities for migrants to enter the US legally. Some cities in Texas have declared a state of emergency as they struggle to cope with an influx of migrants.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) top official Troy Miller recently testified before Congress that his organization was ready for as many as 10,000 migrants to cross the southern border each day once Title 42 expires, which would roughly treble the daily average in March. Other internal government predictions indicate that, in the absence of a significant policy change, daily migrant numbers could increase to between 11,000 and 13,000.
Border Patrol officers and migrants clashed in Piedras Negras, which is located across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass in Texas and is where the border with Mexico is. Between the two fences separating Tijuana and San Diego, a temporary settlement with hundreds of individuals hiding beneath Mylar blankets appeared. Officials let a group of migrants to cross at Gate 40 of the border wall between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso after they attempted to crawl through openings in the concertina wire fence.
To deal with the enormous influx of immigrants, the El Paso City Council extended the state of emergency and turned two abandoned schools into shelters. In McAllen, Texas, the city placed up more tents near to a key migration route in Anzalduas Park.
On Thursday, Republican lawmakers in the House pushed through legislation to cut down on unauthorized immigration. However, the entire legislation appeared doomed to failure in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where senators were reluctant to agree on an alternative measure combining more border security with more opportunities for legal immigration.
