The Biden administration is starting to panic over the end of the COVID-19-era program known as Title 42, which has allowed the U.S. government to immediately deport more than 60% of illegal aliens who cross the border.
Title 42 will end on May 11 — the same time that the government lifts the public health emergency. The Biden administration has already begun to put into place several policies created by the Trump administration, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy and the rule that any illegal alien who crosses the border after passing through a third country without applying for asylum will be immediately deported and will be unable to enter the U.S. for five years.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held a press conference detailing other steps the administration will take to deal with the expected crush of illegals trying to cross the border. HHS believes that between 10,000 and 13,000 illegals will attempt to cross the border — triple the number that crossed the border illegally in March.
“We are working with our regional partners. We are going after the smugglers. We are surging resources to the border. But we cannot do everything that we need to do until Congress provides the needed resources and reforms,” Mayorkas said.
The administration plans to set up processing centers in Latin America to facilitate the legal entry of some asylum seekers.
In fact, unlawful border crossings have already increased in the lead-up to the policy change, especially in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, a senior U.S. official told CBS News. On Tuesday alone, Border Patrol recorded 7,500 apprehensions of migrants, a more than 40% increase from March’s daily average, the official said.
The brick-and-mortar processing centers announced Thursday will serve as regional hubs to screen migrants and determine whether they qualify for different options to enter the U.S. legally, including through traditional refugee resettlement, family visa programs, a sponsorship initiative for certain countries and temporary work visas.
The centers would be located in key choke-points in Latin America that many migrants transit through en route to the U.S. southern border, starting with Colombia and Guatemala. Senior administration officials said the U.S. is “in discussions” with other countries to expand the number of processing centers.
Even with the Trump-era policies in place, the numbers will be staggering. Biden is set to revive some other Trump programs to deal with illegal alien families with children.
As part of planning related to Title 42’s end, U.S. officials have considered reinstating the practice of detaining some migrant families with children in detention centers, a controversial policy that the Biden administration discontinued in 2021.
Asked whether the practice would be revived, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told CBS News during an interview last week that “no decision” had been made.
During Thursday’s press conference, Mayorkas said the administration had “no plan to detain families.”
It’s got to be killing Biden to institute these policies after winning the presidency in 2020 by running against them and portraying Donald Trump as a heartless monster. It looks a little different now that he’s on the other side and facing a human tidal wave of desperate people looking for succor.
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