Title 42 immigration restrictions lifted, confusion remains at U.S.-Mexico border
DALLAS - There are conflicting messages at the southern border as coronavirus restrictions on migrants have expired.
But a last-minute court ruling complicates the administration’s efforts to release migrants into the United States more quickly.
For the past three years, Title 42 COVID-19 restrictions have allowed the U.S. to quickly turn back migrants at the southern border.
Title 42 ends: Here's what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing
The U.S. is putting new restrictions into place at its southern border to try to stop migrants from crossing illegally and encourage them instead to apply for asylum online through a new process.
The policy officially expired at 11 p.m. Thursday and now thousands of troops and officials are trying to prevent the flow of illegal migrants into the US from growing.
The Biden administration is rolling out a new system that aims to give migrants legal pathways to gain citizenship.
It says asylum will be given to migrants who have not previously applied online or in a country they passed through.
But many asylum seekers and immigration activists are not sure whether to trust that process.
"There’s a lot of rumors and intel saying that the individuals are not gonna want to wait and might rush the ports of entry," said Victor Avila, a retired Homeland Security Investigation special agent.
"I believe our points of entry are going to be crowded with migrants trying to come through. Of course, we’re preparing for civil unrest," said Jose Sanchez, with the Texas DPS West Texas Region. "We’re preparing for the worst. We’re ready for the worst and we’re going to carry on from there."
Texas DPS 'preparing for the worst' at U.S.-Mexico border as Title 42 set to expire
Border agents and state troopers are trying to maintain order at the southern ports of entry as a major policy change for asylum seekers takes effect Thursday at midnight.
The Biden administration said there will be strict consequences for migrants caught crossing illegally.
They’ll not be able to return for five years and could face criminal prosecution if they do.
Meanwhile, the administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback late Thursday when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to release migrants more quickly when border patrol holding stations are full.
YUMA, ARIZONA-MAY 11: Migrants waiting to be processed, amid long waits at the USA border with Mexico, on the last day of Title 42, in Yuma, Arizona, on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Katie McTiernan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Those migrants would be instructed to report to an immigration office within 60 days for a hearing.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urged migrants to not believe the lies of smugglers, emphasizing that the order is not open.
But border patrol agents on the ground said the confusion is far from over.