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Four Senate Democrats are amplifying their concerns that the Biden administration has failed to prepare adequately for the anticipated chaos upon ending the Title 42 measure that allows noncitizens to be immediately turned back.
Arizonans Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, Jon Tester of Montana, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire pushed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a recent letter to explain how he will secure the southern border when Department of Homeland Security documents show it expects more noncitizens to cross illegally each day than there are Border Patrol agents on the southern border.
“In Fiscal Year 2022, of the over 2.3 million individuals encountered by [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] at the Southwest Border, just over 1 million were processed under the Title 42 authority,” the group wrote in a letter dated Nov. 18.
“While Title 42 expulsion totals reflect repeat attempts to enter the United States, a sharp end to Title 42 would nonetheless significantly increase the number of migrants apprehended along the Southwest Border under Title 8. This is a fact that DHS itself concedes,” the letter continued.
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: BORDER PATROL AGENTS REVEALS FEARS ABOUT COLLAPSE OF TITLE 42
President Joe Biden vowed early on in his term to end Title 42, a public health measure that recommends federal law enforcement immediately expel any person who illegally enters the country on the basis that taking people into custody could spread the coronavirus.
The Biden administration moved this spring to finally end it but was met by pushback from Democrats. In April, five Democratic and six Republican senators introduced legislation to block Biden’s attempt to end Title 42. Lawmakers in both parties have warned that ending Title 42 and reversing the practice of immediately sending immigrants back to Mexico will lead to a rush at the border.
A federal judge ultimately blocked Biden from ending Title 42, and it has remained in place.
DHS had issued a statement eight months ago on how it was preparing to end Title 42, but lawmakers criticized it for lacking details and falling short. The department has warned that up to 18,000 people could be apprehended coming over the border illegally every day once it ends. At present, up to 7,000 people are being encountered daily — already high compared to the fewer than 2,000 seen most days over the past decade.
The ongoing influx of noncitizens apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border over the past 20 months has resulted in “untenable situations” in Arizona, Kelly and Sinema’s home state. The lawmakers said they are concerned for the government, communities, and immigrants.
“Arizona Border Patrol regularly sees over three-quarters of on-duty agents assigned to processing. How will DHS ensure sufficient resources are dedicated to patrolling and interdicting individuals attempting to enter the United States without inspection?” the senators asked.
The group also pushed Mayorkas to explain how it will expand partnerships with nonprofit organizations that work with the government to take immigrants who have been released.
“When migrants are released, it creates costs for [nongovernmental organizations] and local communities that respond,” the letter states. “Many of these costs are reimbursable under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), however, others are not. What additional authorities does DHS require to ensure that local communities and NGOs are appropriately resourced to overcome this challenge?”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Title 42 is slated to end Dec. 20.
