The long-awaited and often-delayed demise of Title 42 is scheduled for May 11. After that date, border officials will be unable to swiftly deport illegal aliens crossing into our country from Mexico. Though Joe Biden has used the program far less effectively than his predecessor, nevertheless T42 has discouraged an unknown number of would-be migrants in Mexico and elsewhere from attempting to cross the border illegally. Many of those have simply been biding their time waiting for the policy to be ended. In a little more than two months, the wait will be over.
Not that things have been exactly quiet in the El Paso area lately. It remains one of the most active sectors along the entire border. The first quarter of fiscal 2023, which ended January 31, saw more than 162,000 migrant encounters. In the first three months of fiscal year 2022, the number was just 49,000, an increase of 231 percent.
The officials of the city of El Paso, Texas, understand the pent-up demand that has been building south of the border and are taking steps to deal with the expected surge. So far, those steps involve securing additional shelter space at a couple of elementary schools and establishing cooperation between state police and military and local police. Time will tell.
For more, the Border Report.