2023 United States migrant surge
In May 2023, the United States began experiencing an ongoing migrant surge ahead of the end of Title 42 expulsions.
Background[edit]
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 amended Title 42 of the United States Code to allow the government to halt entry into the United States if doing so would spread a communicable disease. In March 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration began using Title 42 to expel migrants. Border officials may use Title 42 to expel migrants within minutes, in comparison to Title 8, often taking hours.[1] During Joe Biden's presidency, officials expressed interest in rescinding Title 42; facing attacks from Republicans for border security, Title 42 remained. The Biden administration sought to end the public health order twice, thus lifting Title 42, but efforts to do so were blocked by the courts. Simultaneously, Title 42 expulsions increased. In March 2023, the Biden administration announced the COVID-19 public health emergency would end on May 11.[2]
Migrant surge[edit]
Preparations[edit]
In preparation for the end of Title 42, the Biden administration has implemented a variety of measures to slow down immigration at the Mexico–United States border, including increased parole, regional centers in Latin America, a mobile app to book appointments, a digital advertising campaign to dispel misinformation, more troops at the border, and the end of catch and release.[3] Although the Department of Homeland Security suggested that regional centers should be created as early as 2021, said centers are not operational. According to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, it was not something that can be "set up unilaterally within a matter of weeks".[4]
Initial border crossings[edit]
Ahead of the end of Title 42, migrants have attempted to enter the United States. Through social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and the messaging service WhatsApp, information on the end of Title 42 has spread to migrant communities, often by smugglers. Many posts promote going to the United States through the Darién Gap, a dangerous region in the Isthmus of Panama.[5]
At 7:00 a.m. on May 11, 41 migrants arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. A second bus arrived at 1:00 p.m. with 50 people.[6] Hundreds of migrants gathered outside Brownsville, Texas, with some cutting a hole through a fence and making it into the United States before it was resealed. The Texas cities of Brownsville, Laredo, and El Paso have declared a state of emergency.[7] In Tijuana, more than a hundred migrants camped outside the largest port of entry.[8] Sacred Heart Catholic Church in El Paso has turned its gymnasium into a shelter.[9]
In New York City, mayor Eric Adams' plan to move migrants from the city has caused a bureaucratic imbroglio amid a potential migrant crisis. Officials announced a plan on May 5 to send hundreds of asylum seekers to hotels in Rockland and Orange County, with both counties subsequently issuing emergency declarations to block their efforts, and Rockland County executive Ed Day threatened to grab Adams "by the throat". Governor Kathy Hochul mobilized hundreds of National Guardsmen on top of the 1,000 already mobilized and stood in defiance of Rockland and Orange County by holding them fiscally responsible for any migrants they move. Other counties, such as Nassau County, voiced their opposition; in contrast, Westchester County is open to migrants.[10]
Responses[edit]
Federal[edit]
The House of Representatives scheduled a vote for an immigration bill before the end of Title 42.[11] Although it passed in the House, it is expected to fall through in the Senate and will reportedly be vetoed by President Biden.[12]
States[edit]
Texas governor Greg Abbott resumed a program to send migrants to cities controlled by Democrats, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C.[6]
See also[edit]
- 2023 Brownsville crash, in which eight migrants were killed by a vehicle collision
References[edit]
- ↑ Andone, Dakin; Alvarez, Priscilla (May 11, 2023). "Title 42 expires tonight. Here's what happens next". CNN. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Sullivan, Eileen (May 8, 2023). "What the End of a Pandemic-Era Health Order Will Mean for the Southern Border". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Jordan, Miriam; Sullivan, Eileen (May 11, 2023). "Here's how the Biden administration has prepared for an expected migrant influx". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Sullivan, Eileen; Glatsky, Genevieve (May 11, 2023). "New processing centers in Latin America could help manage migration to the U.S. If they were in place". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Turkewitz, Julie (May 11, 2023). "How do migrants learn about changes in border policies? TikTok. Facebook. WhatsApp". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Vilchis, Raúl; Bosman, Julie (May 11, 2023). "More migrant buses have already begun arriving in cities far from the border". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Sandoval, Edgar; Sullivan, Eileen; Jordan, Miriam (May 11, 2023). "Some Texas border cities are already under a state of emergency". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Kerr, Sarah; Karlamangla, Soumya (May 11, 2023). "In Tijuana, migrants trying to cross the border fill hotels, shelters and border encampments". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Morales, Christina (May 11, 2023). "El Paso's community organizations open their doors to feed thousands of migrants". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Rubinstein, Dana; Ferré-Sadurní, Luis; Mays, Jeffrey (May 10, 2023). "New York Leaders Spar Over Adams's Plan to Move Migrants From the City". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (May 11, 2023). "The House is poised to pass a Republican bill cracking down on unlawful migration at the border". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (May 11, 2023). "House Approves Stringent G.O.P. Border Bill, Attacking Biden on Immigration". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
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