A news media outlet has posted video footage on social media allegedly showing hundreds of unlawful migrants crossing the border into Brownsville, Texas.
The caravan is just one of many heading toward the southern U.S. border ahead of the expiration of Title 42, Fox News reported.
Title 42 is a regulation imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic that increased law enforcement’s authority to detain and turn back migrants at the border. The rule allowed U.S. authorities to deport unlawful migrants 2.8 million times since the Centers for Disease Control issued the pandemic order.
With the COVID-19 public health emergency officially ending, Title 42 enforcement will expire along with it. The changes are set to take place on May 11th.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the expiration will cause more unlawful migration, suggesting, “It will lead to an incredible amount of people coming across the border illegally.”
In response, Abbott announced the creation of a Texas Tactical Border Force that he claims will help stem an expected migration surge which is made up of nearly 600 Texas National Guardsmen who will work alongside Department of Public Safety officers and municipal officers deployed as part of Operation Lone Star.
Heavy equipment has been deployed alongside the unit, including helicopters and military aircraft such as C-130.
The federal government is also preparing for the expected surge. The Biden administration announced the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops to assist Border Patrol with non-law enforcement duties such as data entry and warehouse support.
The move will bring the total presence of active duty troops to nearly 4,000.
The Biden administration is also reviving a policy similar to the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy. The policy requires asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while requesting entry into the United States, a policy the Biden administration is putting into place despite opposition from some Democratic allies.
The plan is set to go into effect this week, at the time of the expiration of Title 42.