US border crisis: El Paso braces for increased crossings as end of Title 42 looms

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By Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, El PasoMay 10, 2023

Updated 14 minutes ago

Video Caption,

Watch: What is Title 42’s border policy?

A record number of migrants were apprehended at the US-Mexico border in a single day recently, fueling fears about what will happen in hours when a controversial immigration policy expires.

The rule, known as Title 42, was first implemented in 2020 and allows the United States to quickly deport migrants to Mexico using the coronavirus pandemic as justification.

But its impending expiration at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday (03:59 GMT Friday) has sparked a border rush, and cities on both sides are bracing for a surge in attempts to cross once it expires.

President Joe Biden acknowledged earlier this week that the border will be “chaotic for some time” despite the best efforts of authorities.

The potential impact is already clear in the Texas city of El Paso, which is seeing a surge in arrivals ahead of the rule change.

Migrants – many of whom are confused about the impending change – are sleeping rough in makeshift campsites on city streets. Several thousand people camped earlier this week around a downtown church.

“We’ve never seen this before,” Mayor Oscar Leeser said Wednesday at a border security exhibit a few blocks from the campground. “Something has to change. As a community, we can’t do this forever.”

He warned that across from El Paso alone, around 10,000 migrants were “lined up at the border, waiting to come in”.

Joe Sanchez, the regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, likened the situation to a stampede at a football game – only several times larger.

“Imagine 60,000 people in one place, and all of a sudden an alert goes off and says there’s a bomb in the building. What happens after that? Chaos It’s very hard to control and very difficult to deal with,” he told the BBC.

“That’s exactly what it is on the border.”

For these migrants – and those already in the United States – the future is uncertain.

In a bid to stem the flow, the Biden administration on Wednesday introduced tough new rules for asylum seekers, which barred those who cross illegally from seeking asylum for five years.

U.S. officials also announced new changes aimed at encouraging migrants to seek legal pathways to the country, along with stiff penalties and swift deportation for those who don’t.

Legend,

Migrants camp at a church in El Paso before the end of Title 42

Additionally, approximately 24,000 law enforcement officers have been stationed along the 2,000-mile (3,218 km) border, along with thousands of National Guard soldiers and active-duty military personnel sent to assist Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The new measures come at a difficult time for CBP. In the El Paso area alone, officers have seen a sharp increase in attempted crossings over the past six months and are making hundreds of detentions every day.

City authorities have had to deal with both unregistered migrants who crossed illegally and those released from detention to await a court date with an immigration judge. Some migrants in El Paso told the BBC they would have to wait years before appearing in court.

And just days before Title 42 expired, authorities here launched an enforcement operation asking migrants to head to the nearest processing facility.

Those found to have legitimate asylum claims were given dates to appear before an immigration judge, while others were detained for possible deportation. A woman told the BBC her court date was in 2025 in Miami, Florida.

Migrants in the area also said some fled, fearing deportation, while others reluctantly presented themselves to CBP officers in hopes they would be allowed to stay.

“It was crazy. They came to tell us early in the morning, while it was still dark,” said Luis Angel, a 29-year-old Cuban who was released on parole in El Paso while awaiting his court appearance. court. “Some of my friends are still detained.”

Speaking on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said much of the problem stemmed from smugglers who “have worked hard to spread false information that the border will be open” after May 11.

“It won’t. They’re lying,” he added. “We once again urge migrants not to believe smugglers who lie to them just to make a profit. We are building legal pathways for you to come to the United States.”

Among the measures taken are the opening of regional processing centers aimed at helping migrants apply to come to the United States, as well as expanded access to CBP One, an application that migrants can use to schedule appointments. of asylum.

Legend,

Migrants flee Border Patrol after crossing El Paso, Texas

CBP also plans to increase its efforts to counter misinformation to combat rumors about border policies.

Still, many migrants in El Paso said they found the rules confusing and had heard conflicting reports about what might happen before or after the policy ends.

“The rules definitely swayed me. I heard that with title 42 they would send me back to Mexico to try again until I got in,” said Daniel, a Venezuelan.

“But now they are going to send everyone back to their country,” he said. “If I go back to Venezuela, who knows, they might torture me or imprison me. That’s how it is there.”

With additional reporting by Angelica Casas and Morgan Gisholt Minard

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