WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2023) The transition from the pandemic-era Title 42 immigration policy, which ends at midnight, will be "swift and immediate," US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said on Thursday.
"The transition to Title 8 processing will be swift and immediate," Mayorkas told reporters during a briefing at the White House.
The Title 42 policy, first utilized under the Trump administration amid the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed the US to turn away migrants to prevent the spread of disease. Use of the policy is set to expire Thursday night, leading thousands of migrants to the US' southern border with the expectation of easier entry.
After Title 42 ends, migrants will be subject to deportation under an authority known as Title 8, which may punish illegal migrants with a five year bar on re-entry into the United States or criminal prosecution if a migrant attempts another unlawful entry into the country.
Mayorkas noted that the US authorities surged 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers, thousands of troops, contractors, and over a thousand asylum officers and judges.
"Starting at midnight people who arrive the southern border will be subject to our immigration enforcement authorities under Title 8 of the US Code," he said.
He also warned that these individuals will be presumed ineligible for asylum.� They may face significant consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, he added.
US President Joe Biden earlier this week said that the administration expects the situation near the border to be chaotic.
