“It would always be difficult,” said the man, “and now it is closer to the middle ground.” Another source close to the White House described the “high level of concern” in recent weeks. “They are monitoring the border numbers every day,” he said. “They know very well what the situation is at the border.” White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein and President Joe Biden’s internal policy adviser, Susan Rice – two powerful political voices in government – are among the top government officials closely involved in discussing the situation.
A political minefield
Issues related to the US-Mexico border and the entry of immigrants into the country have long been politically charged for both Republican and Democratic governments. Biden, who campaigned against Trump’s immigration policies, has come under fire from Republicans for his handling of border enforcement. But he also faced pressure from within his own party because he continued to pursue some of his predecessor policies that were unpopular with the progressives. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki outlined the government’s plans at a news conference Thursday, saying: “I note that the Department of Homeland Security has also drafted a preparedness plan to continue tackling irregular migration involving increased staffing and resources at the border. , border improvement. elaboration, implementation of mitigation measures and cooperation with other countries of the hemisphere for the management of migration “. In one year, Biden has already faced a record number of unaccompanied immigrant children on the southern border of the United States and with thousands of immigrants, mostly from Haiti, camping in miserable conditions under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. These incidents – which were used as food for Republicans who wanted to criticize the government – are still fresh in the minds of officials who are preparing for busy weeks in the coming weeks. “We can not have another Del Rio,” US Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz said last month. Avoiding this, however, may involve continuing to use policies that the government has repeatedly criticized, such as the Trump-era “stay in Mexico” policy that requires non-Mexican immigrants to stay in Mexico until the date of the U.S. immigration tribunal. The policy, which resumed late last year following a court ruling, signaled an unprecedented departure from previous protocols. Even so, the end of one Trump-era policy may yield another that is growing in numbers. “We will use much higher numbers after Title 42,” an Homeland Security official told reporters recently, referring to the “stay in Mexico” policy, officially called the Immigrant Protection Protocol. “We are in court for the re-implementation of the MPP in good faith and as part of these good faith efforts, we are systematically increasing our enrollment in the MPP,” the official added. The Department of Homeland Security has twice issued a note trying to end the “stay in Mexico” policy, describing its weaknesses and claiming that it harms immigrants, but the court ruling forced the administration to restart the policy. The administration is appealing against the decision. As of April 3, nearly 2,000 people have been sent back to Mexico as part of the policy, according to the International Organization for Migration. This number is expected to increase, although given the long processing times and many other safeguards that the administration has tried to implement, it is unlikely to expand enough to stem the flow of migrants.
Tens of thousands of migrants could reach the border once the restrictions are lifted
However, Republicans and some Democrats have expressed concern about the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decision to revoke Title 42 next month, arguing that it is a reckless decision amid pending demand in the United States among deteriorating immigrants. of conditions in Home. Information estimates have found that people are in a “wait and see” state and are trying to determine when they are most likely to enter the US, according to a federal law enforcement official, adding that some 30,000 to 60,000 people could search. import within hours if the CDC rule is repealed. The White House held meetings between the intelligence services and the situation in general, the official said. By withdrawing Title 42, the administration is returning to the usual operating procedures that have been in place for decades for the treatment of migrants. This includes the release of immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, sometimes as an alternative to detention, or the detention of immigrants and their deportation back to their home country. However, given the conditions in Latin America, which has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, more immigrants may want to travel to the southern US border. “As a result of the CDC’s termination of Title 42’s public health mandate, we are likely to see an increase in appointments above current high levels. “It’s time to dump her and move on.” The Department of Homeland Security has released detailed plans for various scenarios that could unfold on the US-Mexico border in the coming weeks. Three design scenarios have been devised to activate the resources that may be needed. The first scenario is where the current arrest data are, the second scenario is up to 12,000 people a day and the third scenario is up to 18,000 people a day, according to a design document. The Department of Homeland Security has set up a “Southwest Border Coordination Center” to coordinate a response to a possible increase between federal services. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appointed FEMA Region 3 Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney in March as head of the center. As part of the preparation, CBP has deployed 400 agents from other parts of the U.S. border to assist businesses across the southern border, increased the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff to assist in the processing of immigrants, and invited volunteers to the workforce. DHS and agreed to relocate thousands of migrants if needed. CBP is also preparing to add new temporary facilities to mitigate any overpopulation. According to the DHS design document, the CBP storage facility can accommodate more than 16,000 migrants and expand to 17,000 with additional facilities opening in early April. Existing contracts can also be extended to meet the needs if there are up to 30,000 migrants in detention in a worse case scenario. But despite these plans, some Democrats are skeptical about returning to normal border protocols. Georgia Democratic Sen. Rafael Warnock, who is running for re-election, has doubled his opposition to the reversal of Title 42. “Senator Warnock believes in protecting the humanity of migrants at the border, but before this policy can be repealed, the government must come up with a plan to ensure that our border security has the human, infrastructure, humanitarian and legal resources needed to avoid this. “a change of policy from the worsening of an already dire humanitarian situation,” a Warnock spokesman said in a statement.
