According to two high-ranking Border Patrol officers, the government plans to immediately begin releasing detained foreigners once Title 42 expires.
Detention centers are nearing full capacity due to the expected influx of migrants. The release of detainees is purportedly to relieve pressure on officials working the southern border.
Also, asylum-seeking refugees will no longer be required to check in with authorities or wear tracking devices. The new policy may or may not have safeguards to make sure asylum-seekers show up to court. The new law will be known as “Released on Own Recognizance” (ORs). The two top agency officials said the revisions pose severe security risks and run counter to White House claims that the nation is ready for Title 42’s sunset.
After the end of Title 42, experts predict that up to 14,000 aliens a day could enter the United States. It has been informally acknowledged by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the elimination of Title 42 will strain our workforce, our communities, and our entire system.
According to Biden’s remarks on Tuesday, the border between the United States and Mexico will be “chaotic for a while.”
So why do it?
While “alternatives to detention” typically involve migrants checking in with immigration authorities before being given a court date, ORs are not subject to this requirement.
Mayorkas said at a press conference on Wednesday that just “a fraction of the people we encounter” will be given ORs. When asked for comment, DHS remained silent.
Mayorkas’s claim was disputed by a high-ranking Border Patrol agent in Brownsville. The official warned that it will be extremely challenging to keep order in the coming weeks due to the huge quantity of aliens arriving.
Earlier this month, Border Patrol agents issued a warning that 700,000 people could be waiting in Mexico to enter the United States illegally.
There has also been a 500% surge in the number of migrants traversing the Darién Gap, which links South and Central America.
