Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas acknowledged that the “coming days and weeks” could be very difficult, noting that authorities had already detected a large number of migrants arriving at the border.
On Wednesday, the United States mobilized 24,000 security personnel in preparation for the imminent lifting of a sanitary measure that had been in place since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and allowed the immediate deportation of migrants crossing overland to its lands.
This comes at a time when immigrants were waiting at the US borders, and a state of confusion and anxiety prevailed among them.
Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorcas acknowledged that the “coming days and weeks” could be very difficult, noting that the authorities had already detected a large number of migrants arriving at the border.
And President Joe Biden acknowledged a day ago that the situation could become “chaotic” when the procedure called “Title 42” ceases to work Thursday at 23:59 Washington time (Friday at 03:59 GMT).
This measure prevents the submission of an asylum application in the United States and allows migrants to be immediately deported to Mexico under the pretext of combating Covid-19.
Border cities like Brownsville, Laredo and El Paso have seen large numbers of immigrants arrive, mostly from Latin America but also from China, Russia and Turkey.
On the other side of the border, in Ciudad Juárez and Matamoros, hundreds of people were rushing to try to enter the US to claim asylum, fearing a change in the rules in place would prevent them from doing so for five years.
Seeking to assist local authorities, the US government on Wednesday announced the deployment of “more than 24,000 law enforcement personnel, as well as more than 1,100 coordinators” from the Border Police.
In addition to them, 1,500 soldiers were deployed by the Ministry of Defense on the borders to support the 2,500 who are there.
In parallel, the Ministries of Justice and Homeland Security have finalized new restrictions on the right to asylum that were announced in February and will be consulted before they come into force on Thursday evening.
Before they reach the border, those wishing to apply for asylum, with the exception of unaccompanied minors, will have to get an appointment set through a mobile application developed by the border guards.
Otherwise, their applications will be considered invalid and they may be subject to expedited removal procedures that will prevent them from entering the United States for five years.
These changes cause great confusion among those who dream of reaching the United States.
“We don’t know what’s going on. They are making things more difficult for us,” said Venezuelan Michel, whom AFP met in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 300 meters from the border. He vented his frustration after another failed attempt on the CBP One mobile app, through which an appointment had to be made.
These new measures were met with harsh criticism from associations concerned with defending immigrants.
“President Biden has just opened a new phase of immense suffering for people already suffering violence and oppression,” the ACLU said. “By doing so, he is finishing (former Republican President Donald) Trump’s job rather than fulfilling his campaign promises,” she added.
