Puerto Vallarta Daily News (PVDN) – As the “Title 42” regulation is set to expire on May 11, the US government has unveiled new strategies for managing and regulating the influx of migrants entering the country via its southern border with Mexico.
This does not imply that the border will be open starting March 12; instead, the Biden administration will revert to employing Title 8 immigration authorities to swiftly expel individuals entering the US illegally or without proper authorization.
Title 42, an immigration policy enabling the expulsion of migrants, was implemented by former President Donald Trump in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a public health crisis. As a result, individuals apprehended at the border were returned to Mexico or sent back to their home countries.
In early January, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador agreed to accept 30,000 migrants per month under this regulation, as announced by US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, during a press conference on Thursday.
In contrast, Title 8, which predates the pandemic, allows the US to repatriate individuals without a credible asylum claim. Border agents interview migrants to determine if they have a legitimate fear of remaining in their home country; otherwise, they are promptly deported.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new measures on Tuesday, which will be coordinated with Mexico, Canada, Spain, Colombia, and Guatemala. These measures include:
- Implementing stricter consequences for bypassing legal channels.
- Cooperating with regional partners for humanitarian management of migration flows.
- Ensuring safe, orderly, and humane processing of migrants.
Migrants who illegally cross the US southwest border and are deemed ineligible for asylum will be unable to return to the country for at least five years if ordered removed. Consequently, the US government recommends that migrants utilize legal avenues:
One option is the CBPOne app, which, once the Title 42 order is lifted, will allow migrants in central and northern Mexico to schedule appointments and enter the country legally through designated ports. “CBPOne will offer additional appointments and facilitate safe, orderly, and humane processing,” according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement.
Launched by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on October 28, 2020, the app aims to enhance border security and is available on the Apple App and Google Play stores.
Furthermore, the US agency will establish new family reunification processes in El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala, permitting “vetted individuals with approved family petitions to enter the United States on parole.”
Additionally, the US will double the number of refugees it accepts. “The United States will commit to hosting thousands of additional refugees a month from the Western Hemisphere.” To achieve this, the Biden administration will continue to accept up to 30,000 individuals per month from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti.
However, Secretary Mayorkas emphasized that the US border will remain closed even after Title 42 expires.
Puerto Vallarta Daily News (PVDN) - As the "Title 42" regulation is set to expire on May 11, the US government has unveiled new strategies . . .
