EI PASO, UNITED STATES: President Joe Biden acknowledged Tuesday that the US-Mexico border would be “chaotic for a while,” just days before the easing of pandemic-era rules that have made asking asylum at the border nearly hard.
Tens of thousands of people have gathered at border crossings in expectation of the expiration of so-called Title 42 on Thursday and Friday. Thousands have already reached the US, squeezing through the gaps that separate the world’s wealthiest country from its poorer neighbor, and an increase in claims for asylum is expected.
El Paso, Brownsville, and Laredo in Texas have declared states of emergency as they fight to accommodate hundreds of people, most of them from Latin America, with some from China, Russia, and Turkey. When asked if the US was prepared for an increase in border crossings, Biden told reporters, “It remains to be seen. It’s going to be chaotic for a while.” The Title 42 laws were put in place during Donald Trump’s presidency during the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak, reportedly to prevent those infected with the virus from entering the country.
From Friday, migrants will be allowed to file applications for asylum and have their cases heard by the legal system, which can take years. Republicans have seized on Biden’s border proposal, claiming that it amounts to “throwing open the doors,” with dark predictions that more than a million migrants will come in the next three months, straining an already overburdened system.
US immigration rules
Biden has sent 1,500 active-duty troops to the border, where they will assist border patrol officials with applicant processing. With a presidential election in 18 months and immigration a recurring obstacle in the country’s political landscape, Biden is hopeful that new restrictions – and an increase of troops – would help halt the flow. Texas Governor Greg Abbott criticized the president on Monday, accusing him of “laying down the welcome mat.”
The Republican claimed he was sending members of the Texas National Guard to “hotspots all along the border to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally.” Some of those troops were visible Tuesday at the border in El Paso, Texas, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Hundreds of migrants who had already entered the US, many of them Venezuelans, were queuing in El Paso to hand themselves over to border patrol authorities.
Those fleeing the dysfunctional South American country previously had an exemption in the Title 42 rules and could still seek asylum. They are concerned that once the measure ends, they will be stranded in Mexico, unable to reverse the grueling walk back to a hostile country , and live at the mercy of human traffickers. Gleidys Losada stated that he tried to file his request for four months but was ignored. He claimed that everyone he knew was passing through the gaps. He felt abandoned and realized he couldn’t wait any longer.
Lopez has spent the last four nights camped out in front of Sacred Heart Church in downtown El Paso, which has become a gathering place for thousands of migrants. They group there, reliant on charity and hope to gather together enough money to go to places throughout the United States, where friends or relatives may be waiting for them. On Tuesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke with Biden for an hour about immigration and the importance of Latin America’s economic development.
Lopez Obrador later tweeted that they reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together on challenges such as human-centered migration, drug and arms trafficking, and, above all, cooperation for the well-being of our continent’s weakest peoples. Several migrants told AFP that no expected border policy change would discourage them from seeking asylum in the United States.
