Migrants rush to cross border as Title 42 ends

Thousands of migrants had begun gathering in northern Mexico at the US border the past few days, waiting for Title 42 to be lifted Thursday so that they could enter the US. But they were met by a more restrictive policy.

Title 42, a World War II era health policy, was reintroduced by former president Donald Trump in March 2020. It has allowed US border patrol officers to turn away migrants immediately for the past couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic even if they had asked for asylum. It expired at 11:59 pm Thursday.

But the Biden administration issued an executive order on Wednesday that would deny asylum to migrants who arrived in the US without first applying online or seeking asylum in the country they passed through.

Migrants caught crossing the border illegally wouldn't be able to enter the US for five years after Title 42 ends.

Migrants perceived the new policy as making it harder for them to stay in the US after Title 42 expired.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a news conference Thursday that the administration is prepared to deal with the migrant surge, but he said it will take time "for those results to be fully realized".

Mayorkas also warned migrants contemplating coming to the US: "Smugglers have been long hard at work spreading false information that the border will be open. They are lying. To people who are thinking of making the journey to our southern border, know this — smugglers care only about profits, not people. Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States if and when you arrive here."

At the Rio Grande in Matamoros, migrants arrived steadily on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. Many stripped down before descending the steep riverbank, grasping plastic bags filled with clothes. One family put a tiny baby inside an open suitcase, and a man held it atop his head while wading through the river along with another man. Some children rode on the shoulders of adults.

Once the migrants were on US soil, they put on dry clothing and picked their way through concertina wire. Many surrendered to authorities right away and hoped to be released while pursuing their cases in immigration courts, which have years of backlogs.

The situation quickly changed on Thursday. Texas law enforcement officers and soldiers in Brownsville completely closed off the banks of the Rio Grande with barbed wire and refused to let anyone pass and give their cases for asylum, The New York Times reported.

Dozens of migrants struggled to find their footing in the steep riverbanks on Thursday morning as they pleaded with Texas officials. Meanwhile, Mexican migration officials yelled at migrants on the Matamoros side to return to their camp.

Shortly before noon Thursday, American authorities deployed a helicopter to monitor the Rio Grande as migrants tried to cross its waters into Texas.

A group of at least 500 migrants from around the world from America to Asia began crossing the border near Yuma, Arizona, in darkness early Thursday morning, the Times reported. Authorities in Yuma said more than 4,200 migrants were arrested last week, and as many as 1,000 were arriving every day ahead of Title 42's lifting.

The Border Patrol's holding capacity already has been exceeded, with more than 28,000 migrants in custody. Usually, migrants are held in custody for an average of 65 hours.

With hundreds of additional staff members, the agency is getting more efficient and the average time in custody has been shortened to only about three hours, according to the Times.

Republicans are seizing the opportunity to decry President Joe Biden for failing to control the border. House Republicans also proposed a bill that would crack down on unlawful migration at the US-Mexico border despite it having little chance to become law because the Democrats are the majority party in the Senate.

Agencies contributed to this story.