US borders are not open after the end of Title 42 – Escambray

There are 24,000 border guards along with thousands of troops and contractors to help manage the massive influx of migrants.

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorcas, confirmed on Friday that the country’s borders are not open, while tens of thousands of people are trying to cross from Mexico.

Awaiting the end of the controversial Title 42, which took place at midnight this Thursday, large numbers of individuals have gathered in neighboring Mexican regions, including entire families, in the hope of being able to claim asylum.

The policy, which allowed immigrants to be quickly removed, gave way to another, known as Title 8, under which applications are processed but exclude those who did not seek protection in another country en route to the United States.

Likewise, those who cannot prove they qualify for an exemption from the rule will face deportation to their home state or to Mexico, as well as expulsion for five years from that northern region.

As Mayorkas told Msnbc News, there are 24,000 border guards along with thousands of troops and contractors to help manage the arrival of large numbers of migrants.

Added to the chaotic situation at the southern border today is the confusion caused by a ruling by a US judge issued the day before that prohibited part of the immigration policy to be applied from that day.

The ruling, made by District Judge T. Kent Wetherell at the request of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, prevents the government from temporarily releasing immigrants who enter the territory illegally.

With this ruling, President Joe Biden’s administration sought to avoid overcrowding in detention centers by temporarily releasing some asylum seekers on the condition that they are reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As of Thursday, there were nearly 25,000 people in Border Patrol facilities and tents, said Raul Ortiz, chief of the Border Patrol, even though the agency has capacity to accommodate only a few thousand.

Because of the mounting problems, the Biden administration has asked Wetherill to keep his parole system in place, if only for an “emergency.”

However, the judge didn’t budge, arguing that the new policy violated federal law requiring at least temporary detention for anyone who crossed the border illegally.

Immediately after the verdict, Mayorcas posted a video message in which he reiterated the administration’s position.

“Starting tonight, people who reach the border without using a legal pathway will be deemed ineligible for asylum. We are prepared to treat and remove people without a legal basis for remaining in the United States.”