Scenes of thousands of desperate migrants and overwhelmed border facilities unfolded hours before the lifting of the COVID-19-era policy known as Section 42. That rule, for more than three years, allowed the government to quickly deport many people who crossed the border before they could apply for asylum. The order was set to expire with the COVID-19 national health emergency at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday (7:59 a.m. PT Friday).
This week, the number of illegal border crossings between Mexico and the United States topped 10,000 a day, the highest level on record, adding to the Washington Post’s picture of border chaos. Thousands of migrants crossed the Rio Grande to the Brownsville area of ​​Texas or traveled elsewhere, including some 1,500 miles to the dusty strip of American land between the banks of the river and the border wall east of downtown. city ​​of El Paso.
As border patrols and data centers were pushed to capacity, US authorities authorized the release of migrants without trial in places where facility capacity exceeded 125% or other thresholds were exceeded. Late Thursday, however, a federal judge blocked the migrant release plan, approving a temporary restraining order at the request of Florida’s attorney general. The decision limits the Biden administration’s actions at the border after senior officials repeatedly assured that they were ready to face the pressure and had a broader strategy that would reduce illegal crossings, the publication notes.
Among the tools the Biden administration is using to reduce crowds at the U.S.-Mexico border is a new mobile app that migrants must use before entering the U.S. to schedule an appointment with Border Patrol to seek asylum. However, migrants encountered difficulties in making an appointment via this application.
As the last day of Section 42 drew to a close, the migrants made one last attempt to cross the Rio Grande into Texas. The river near Matamoros is much deeper than in other parts, and migrants who cannot swim or have small children have found it difficult to navigate along it. Some used air mattresses, others carried people on their backs.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas issued a new warning on Thursday to migrants seeking to enter the United States, saying those who arrive at the border after Section 42 expires will not be eligible to apply for the ‘asylum.
Mallorcas addressed reporters with a promised briefing on the Biden administration’s plan to respond to the massive influx of illegal immigration. The government will now use its powers under Article 8 to impose tough penalties on migrants who cross the border illegally, including a re-entry ban of at least five years and possible criminal prosecution, the minister said. “I want to be clear: our borders are not open. People who cross our border illegally and have no legal reason to stay will be promptly processed and deported,” Majorcas said.
The Biden administration’s warning came after border guards arrested another 10,000 migrants on Wednesday for the third day in a row, according to US Border Patrol and Customs (CBP) sources. PTS currently holds approximately 26,000 migrants in federal prison. Capacity across the southern border is around 19,000, and several checkpoints are now well over capacity.
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