Officials in South Texas warn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to end Title 42 will cause a massive surge at the southern border.
Mayors in South Texas like Don McLaughlin of Uvalde and Javier Villalobos of McAllen are urging the Biden administration to not end Title 42 next month.
The Trump-era Title 42 policy allowed the United States to swiftly expel migrants back to Mexico or their home country in order to protect against the pandemic. Border patrol and local law enforcement are preparing for a potential massive migrant surge when the policy officially comes to an end May 23.
“As many as 18K migrant apprehensions per day are projected upon the end of Title 42,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted April 6, just days after the announcement.
As many as 18K migrant apprehensions per day are projected upon the end of Title 42 – over half a million illegal border crossings per month.
Texas will continue to evaluate threats posed by the end of Title 42 & announce additional action to respond to this expected surge.
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) April 6, 2022
“It’s going to open up the flood gates on the border,” says Maverick County Deputy Constable Frank Bowles told the Daily Caller. Bowles patrols the Eagle Pass sector, where he assists Border Patrol agents overwhelmed by groups of migrants illegally crossing. Several large groups of migrants cross through the Rio Grande River each day and into Eagle Pass with the help of smugglers from Mexico. (RELATED: ‘They Are Going To Storm The Border’: South Texas Braces For Migrant Surge As Title 42 Is Set To End)
WATCH HERE :
Daily illegal crossings in Piedras Negras as migrants cross the river to reach Eagle Pass, Texas. Crossing the river is extremely dangerous we have seen many migrants get swept away by the current and yesterday border patrol had to jump in the water as a migrant nearly drowned pic.twitter.com/HeAg4mzo5w
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) April 7, 2022
Between 25-5o migrants cross illegally every hour under the port of entry, Bowles told the Daily Caller. Sources tell the Daily Caller that between 7,000-10,000 migrants are living in the Mexican town Piedras Negras awaiting for the end of Title 42 before crossing illegally.