As the end of Title 42 looms, United States President Joe Biden’s administration and the Texas state government, as of Monday (May 8) have deployed hundreds of personnel to the country’s border with Mexico in a bid to prepare for a possible increase in illegal immigration.
This comes as Washington has moved to lift the controversial Title 42, on Thursday, implemented by former US president Donald Trump to deny entry to migrants, including asylum seekers, based on the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is happening on the US-Mexico border?
A report by news agency Reuters, citing sources, said hundreds of specialised investigative agents and air marshals from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were moved from their day-to-day duties to help with border management. However, the move has received some pushback from employees who argue they are being reassigned to menial tasks, the report added.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, on Monday, announced that members of the specially trained National Guard unit, who are called the Texas Tactical Border Force, will be deployed with Black Hawk helicopters. He added that some 10,000 personnel of the National Guard and security forces are to be deployed along the 2,000-kilometre border.
He also said that the personnel deployed will have access to aircraft, boats, night vision equipment and riot gear. “They will be deployed to hot spots along the border to intercept to repel and to turn back migrants who are trying to enter Texas illegally,” said Abbott, while addressing a press conference.
Notably, the Texas governor, a Republican, has also criticised the Democratic president’s approach to border security. Separately, the Biden administration had also previously announced the deployment of 1,500 additional troops to help secure the US-Mexico border this week.
Some 180 US Air Marshals will also be pulled from their day-to-day duties of securing air travel to help at the border, said Sonya LaBosco, executive director of the Air Marshal National Council, who has also opposed the deployment, as per Reuters. La Bosco said that the air marshals will not perform law enforcement activities but rather deal with transportation, security and other tasks.
Title 42 and what is being expected?
The Title 42 order was signed by Trump back in 2020 which allowed US authorities to expel migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek US asylum. However, since the policy is now ending, it is expected to lead to a rise in border arrivals given the pent-up demand.
“We are dealing with a number of people never seen before who have crossed the border and this year we will set a new historic record,” said Abbott. This also comes as the US Customs and Border Protection’s most recent data shows that the number of processed crossings on the US southwestern border witnessed a rise of at least 25 per cent between February 2023 and March 2023.
(With inputs from agencies)
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