Mayorkas promises heavy penalties for illegal border crossings

The Biden administration on Friday warned migrants headed for the southern border that the expiration of Title 42, a federal policy restricting illegal immigration into the United States, would not make it easier for them to enter.

“Don’t believe the lies of smugglers,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. said just after title 42 expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday. “The border is not open.”

For more than three years, Title 42 had enabled the United States government to quickly deport many people crossing the border before they could seek asylum. Federal border agents were expected to revert to prepandemic immigration law enforcement rules Friday, known as Title 8.

People arriving illegally at the border are now deemed ineligible for asylum and face “more severe consequences,” including a five-year entry ban and possible criminal charges, Mayor Mayorkas said in the statement.

To enforce immigration laws, he added, there were already 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers on the southwestern border. He had said Wednesday that more than 1,400 Homeland Security personnel, 1,000 processing coordinators, and 1,500 Department of Defense personnel would be deployed there.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Mayorkas said he expected a temporary increase in migration at the border.

“This puts an incredible strain on our staff, our facilities and our communities with whom we work closely,” he said.

Border Police Chief Raul Ortiz told CBS On Thursday, “more than 60,000 migrants” were waiting at the border. “We’re focused on making sure we’re doing everything we can to allocate resources to address those flows,” he said.