The US Department of Defense plans to send 1,500 more troops to the border with Mexico as they expect a surge of migrants when Covid-era restrictions are lifted next week. Title 42, a policy introduced under President Trump that allowed the government to turn away migrants at the border using Covid-19 pandemic measures, will end on May 11. This is expected to result in a surge of migrants. In response, El Paso, Texas has already declared a state of emergency since crowds of people are sleeping on the streets and some have been moved to government-run centers.
According to CNN, while encounters between US border agents and undocumented immigrants fell this year, incidents have recently increased. There are around 7,000 such incidents daily, and they are expected to rise dramatically next week.
Around 1,500 troops will be sent to the border, adding to the 2,500 already there to support Border Patrol authorities. The additional troops are meant to act in strictly administrative roles and not to aid in law enforcement. Though some of them may be armed, they will have no direct role in interacting with migrants at the border. The additional personnel will also help with data entry and warehouse support.
The Biden administration has tried to discourage migrants from crossing the border and said that people apprehended will not only be turned away but also potentially barred from re-entry. On February 21, it announced a new set of restrictions aiming to penalize people who cross into the country illegally. The US is working with Colombia and Guatemala to set up regional processing centers to allow migrants to apply before they come to the US. Meanwhile, there are already more than 36,000 migrants camped along the border in northern Mexico waiting for the end of Title 42.
El Paso in Texas has declared a state of emergency as it expects a huge inflow at the end of Title 42. In El Paso, crowds of people are already sleeping on the street and have been moved to government-run centers. Texas is reportedly transporting thousands of migrants to cities including New York, Chicago, and Washington DC. According to a CNN report, more than 50,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York since last spring.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has asked the federal government to stop giving emergency funds to the Texas border cities which are using the fund to rent buses and ship migrants farther north. Canada and Spain have also agreed to take in some of those who cleared the processing centers to emigrate, US officials said.
