Biden administration officials are privately fearing a worsening situation at the southern border, Politico reported Monday.
The Biden administration has said that illegal migrant encounters at the southern border are down by more than 70% since the lifting of Title 42, the Trump-era expulsion order used during the COVID-19 pandemic, on May 11. Still, the administration has stopped short of claiming a victory over fears of a looming migrant surge that can’t be fully prevented by a number of bandage solutions to the overwhelming issue, according to Politico.
“There was absolutely a feeling of, we can exhale now,” a former Biden administration official, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the mood among current administration officials, told Politico. “But there’s also enough experience that nobody is going to roll out a band, or say it’s mission accomplished. It’s too fluid.”
The Biden administration created several legal pathways migrants could use to get to the U.S. after Title 42’s expiration, including the creation of processing centers in Guatemala and Colombia and expanding the number of entry appointments at the ports of entry.
The White House also implemented asylum restrictions and an entry ban of up to five years for those who don’t qualify for asylum after crossing the southern border illegally.
“They are swimming in numbers. They are swimming in capacity. The scale of the operation here has been significant,” an immigration policy expert, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss private conversations with administration officials, told Politico.
“When I say swimming, I don’t mean to suggest that they didn’t plan well. But they planned as much as they possibly could with the resources they have. They are trying every day to make sure all the systems they’re trying to set up are functional, but it is building train tracks while the train is moving out of the station,” the immigration policy expert said.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy at the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Blas Nuñez-Neto recently testified that the new programs are “working” during a House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement hearing. However, Nuñez-Neto stopped short of declaring a full victory.
“We are cognizant, however, that the conditions in the hemisphere that are driving unprecedented movements of people are still present and that the cartels and coyotes will continue to spread disinformation about any potential changes to policies at the border in order to put migrants’ lives at risk for profit. We will remain vigilant and continue to execute our plan, making adjustments where needed,” Nuñez-Neto said.
One month since Title 42’s end is too early to tell if the new programs are working, according to the sources who spoke with Politico.
“We don’t know because we’re in such new territory. This administration is really developing and using new tools together that have never been used before,” the former Biden official told Politico. “Are the measures big enough that they can diminish the urge to come between ports of entry and illegally? Nobody knows. And if they tell you they know, then they’re bullshitting.”
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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