Title 42 crisis has arrived.

Title 42 to be Rescinded: States Prepare for Influx of Asylum Seekers

Former Policy and Pending Surge

Title 42, enacted by former President Donald Trump during the pandemic, is set to be rescinded tonight. The policy immediately returned expectant migrants to their home countries without screening for asylum on the grounds that their entry could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. Despite its controversial aims, it abated a flood of immigrants from coming into the US for the past three years.

Now, no one, not even the most liberal of news outlets, is denying that the pending surge of asylum seekers constitutes a “crisis.” Photos of migrant camps hovering around the border have circulated on the internet, raising concerns among all Americans. Officials are estimating 11,000-13,000 migrants a day are expected to arrive along the entire southern border once the measure is lifted. Even with Title 42 in place, more than 73,000 migrants have crossed the southern border illegally in the last 10 days according to border officials.

State Preparations

Texas Governor Greg Abbot deployed almost 600 more national guard troops in Texas in preparation for the influx “to intercept, to repel and to turn back migrants who are trying to enter Texas illegally.” On Monday, El Paso declared a state of emergency where officials say anywhere between 12,000 and 40,000 migrants are waiting on the Mexican side to cross on Thursday.

In Arizona, even Democrats are criticizing the Biden administration for its failure to prepare for the massive surge at the border, despite Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas’s insistence that the border is safe and secure and that the country is prepared.

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis announced passage of a new bill in response to what he called “President Biden’s dereliction of duty at the border” that is “costing Americans their lives.” Florida’s SB1718, dubbed the strongest anti-illegal immigration bill in the nation, requires employers to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of employees, and fines employers who fail to use the service $1,000 per day.

Biden Administration Response

President Biden says the southern border will be “chaotic for a while” and the results “remain to be seen.” Despite his administration’s lack of preparation, he continues to blame Congress for not doing its job and making changes to the immigration system. Last week, Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border, who will be all but useless as active-duty troops cannot directly enforce U.S. laws, including immigration laws.

Maybe we should leave those tasks to the unemployed people in need of work and allow our National Guard to protect our streets from the crime that is sure to surge.