Mayorkas admits Title 42 border issue is severe and challenging.

The Southern Border Faces a Serious Challenge as Title 42 Ends

Mass Migration Event Already Underway

The head of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has warned that the end of Title 42 next week will lead to a mass migration event that will overwhelm the entire southern border. Mayorkas has already witnessed the tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who have crossed this week and has described the situation as “very serious, challenging, and difficult.”

Border Cities See Sharp Upticks in Illegal Crossings

Nearly 30,000 people have crossed the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in Mexico to get to U.S. soil in Brownsville over the past seven days. This sudden influx of mostly Venezuelans into Brownsville is unusual but not an anomaly. Other border cities, including El Paso, have seen sharp upticks in the number of illegal crossings and apprehensions, including some setting up makeshift camps on the U.S. side of the border as they wait to be taken into custody.

Challenges Ahead as Title 42 Expires

Mayorkas said these sudden rises are an indicator of what is to come May 11, when Title 42’s expiration means Border Patrol can no longer immediately turn away illegal immigrants. “I think there is no question that this is going to be extremely challenging,” Mayorkas said. “I do not want to underestimate the severity of the challenge that we expect to encounter.”

Preparations Underway

Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Chief Gloria Chavez said her staff responded quickly to the influx of immigrants that began in mid-April and stood up a series of tents near the border in an effort to keep people in shaded areas where agents could begin intake and processing while the immigrants awaited transportation to a nearby Border Patrol facility. The tent facility by the river has between 36 and 88 agents working at any one time, Chavez said.

Mayorkas said his two-day visit to the Rio Grande Valley was meant to see how the government was prepared for next week and the days that follow. Earlier on Friday, the DHS announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would make $332 million available to nongovernmental groups that help illegal immigrants who have been allowed to remain in the United States. The funding is directed to 35 nonprofit organizations and local governments that are not on the border but rather are in places across the country where immigrants will travel.

Stay Informed

The situation at the southern border is rapidly evolving, and it’s important to stay informed. Click here to read more from the Washington Examiner.

What You Can Do

If you want to help, consider donating to organizations that provide assistance to immigrants. Here are a few options:

• RAICES: A Texas-based nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees. Donate here.
• No More Deaths: A humanitarian organization that provides aid to migrants and refugees in the Arizona desert. Donate here.
• The Florence Project: An Arizona-based nonprofit that provides free legal and social services to detained immigrants. Donate here.