The Biden administration has reinstated a Trump-era immigration rule that disqualifies migrants from applying for asylum in the U.S. if they neglected to first apply for asylum in other countries they traveled through. The rule was finalized and published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, and comes as Title 42, a health order authorizing border officials to immediately expel migrants without processing, is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested and received 1,500 military personnel from the Pentagon to help perform administrative tasks on the border and free up more border agents for enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has partnered with local and state law enforcement to begin sweeping thousands of illegal migrants off the streets of El Paso, Texas, one of the hotspots for illegal migration. El Paso Democratic Mayor Oscar Leeser preemptively declared a state of emergency in the city. He has previously estimated that 15,000 migrants could be in position to flood into the city from Ciudad Juarez when Title 42 is ended.
Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz reported on Monday that Border Patrol averaged nearly 9,000 migrant apprehensions per day and tallied over 7,000 gotaways, illegal immigrants who were seen entering the U.S. but could not be apprehended. On Tuesday, more than 11,000 migrants were reportedly caught crossing the southern border.
The Biden administration's reversal of President Joe Biden’s campaign promises regarding immigration has been criticized by some. However, the ongoing crisis at the southern border and the expected surge of illegal immigration following the end of Title 42 has forced the administration to take action to control the situation. The DHS and other agencies have been preparing for the surge, and have implemented measures to enforce immigration rules and secure the border. The situation at the southern border is a complex and sensitive issue, and the administration will need to carefully balance immigration policies with border security concerns.