(TheDailyHorn.com) – Illegal immigration isn’t talked about as much in the media as it was a year ago, but the crisis could take a turn for the worse in the coming weeks. According to the US Border Patrol, fiscal year 2021 broke an all-time record for encounters with illegal immigrants. Border Patrol agents were overwhelmed by the massive number of illegal immigrants who made a run for the southern border after President Biden essentially told people in the 2020 presidential campaign they would be welcome in the US if he became president.
On March 30, the Biden administration announced it was ending a program called Title 42. On Tuesday, April 5, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced that he and several Republicans would be visiting the southern border. In a separate statement, McCarthy stated that the administration’s push to end Title 42 was an abdication of the president’s responsibilities and accused Biden of working to make the illegal immigration crisis worse.
Republicans Hold a Press Conference Discussing Title 42
Several House Republicans joined McCarthy for the press conference, including Homeland Security Committee ranking member Rep. John Katko (R-NY). They told reporters that President Biden’s disastrous immigration policies sparked the ongoing crisis at the nation’s southern border. Without essential programs like Title 42, the flood of illegal immigrants would overwhelm Border Patrol agents.
Leader McCarthy emphasized that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris promised to address the border crisis, but their actions have “only made it worse.” Rep. Katko echoed that sentiment, stating that things will “get much worse when [Biden administration officials] rescind Title 42, adding, “It is a damn shame because our country can’t handle it.”
What is Title 42?
Title 42 is a public health directive issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Trump administration initiated the protocol in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health order empowers Border Patrol operatives to arrest and expel illegal immigrants from the country immediately.
On March 30, the news broke that the administration planned to end Title 42 when the Wall Street Journal got a sneak peek at the draft proposal. The CDC stated that migrants no longer pose a serious COVID-19 health risk in detention facilities. Officials added they planned to rescind the Title 42 order effective on May 23 so that the Department of Homeland Security could prepare for an influx of illegal immigrants.
After the news broke, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield met with reporters. She told them the administration is considering numerous scenarios for an influx of people at the southern border. In line with Democratic talking points over the last five years, the communications director said the government would treat illegal immigrants humanely and fairly.
Border Problems Could Be Significant
On March 10, Buzzfeed News received government documents revealing deep concerns about the situation. DHS wrote that Border Patrol agents would use old protocols and processes for those seeking asylum without Title 42 in place. Officials warn that the administration’s decision to terminate the program would likely lead to significant humanitarian issues in northern Mexico.
Government data reviewed by the National Review revealed that Border Patrol agents encountered 2,033,863 migrants at the southern border in 2021. Officers arrested 1.9 million. These numbers are more than double those recorded in 2019. Also, the number of encounters is the highest it’s been in 20 years.
Officials say if the administration follows through in May, the explosion of illegal immigration could make Border Patrol agents nothing more than paper pushers, leaving the border wide open with no one to manage it. If illegal immigration was bad with Title 42 in place, what will it be like without it?
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