Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas warned: "The border is not open. Starting tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum." The executive spoke a few minutes after Title 42 expired and assured that there is a huge operation in place to prevent migrants from entering the country illegally.
Starting tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum. We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/JnpSw6793v
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) May 12, 2023
Specifically, he explained that they had increased security measures at the U.S.-Mexican border considerably: "We have 24,000 Border Patrol Agents and Officers at the Southwest Border and have surged thousands of troops and contractors, and over a thousand asylum officers to help enforce our laws. Do not believe the lies of smugglers."
Mayorkas warned migrants attempting to cross the border that there will be "tougher consequences" which include a "minimum five-year ban on re-entry and potential criminal prosecution" for those who seek to enter the country without the necessary documentation to do so. Migrants who are in the country illegally are also not safe. Mayorkas explained that DHS officials are "ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the US."
However, his warning was to little avail. Voz Media traveled to the border and witnessed, first hand, the situation in places like El Paso, Texas, hours before the end of Title 42. There are what appear to be neverending lines of migrants who are waiting to find out whether they will finally be able to achieve the "American dream" they have been longing for.
House passes bill as Title 42 expires
As Title 42 came to an end, the GOP-led House of Representatives tried to salvage the measure and did so by passing a bill that is unlikely to pass because the Democratic-majority Senate could block it.
The bill, known as the Border Security Act, passed with a narrow 219-213 difference but for the GOP it is a victory that, as Kevin McCarthy assured before the vote was taken, would help the country's progress:
If it passes, I am confident that we will stop the flood of fentanyl into our country, solve the Biden Border Crisis, and support our border patrol agents so they can continue to keep us safe.
He is not the only one who welcomed the bill moving forward. During a press conference several Republican senators said that this measure is the one that must be implemented to contain the immigration crisis. They also stated that, if it does not pass in the Senate, it will only show that Joe Biden does not care about his nation's citizens. This was stated by Rick Scott, Senator from Florida:
Joe Biden doesn’t give a damn about Americans. Why would I say that? Seven thousand Americans died of fentanyl overdose. Why? Joe Biden doesn’t care. He has a completely open border. We’ve got criminals, we’ve got terrorists coming [across] our border. Just last week, a family was murdered by an illegal immigrant in this country.
This statement was echoed by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Az.). He assured before the House of Representatives that what is happening at the border "is not part of the American Dream":
Rep. @JuanCiscomani: “What’s happening at the border is NOT part of the American Dream…We have a border crisis, a humanitarian crisis.”
“Americans have been failed by the government designed to protect them…House Republicans have proposed a solution.” pic.twitter.com/cuVmQSZyny
— GOP (@GOP) May 11, 2023
