Washington.-The Biden administration announced new efforts Thursday to limit the flow of unauthorized migrants at its southern border, including opening regional processing centers, while warning that an upcoming change in the law will make it difficult to enter the United States.
The announcement came two weeks before the court is set to strike down Title 42, a public health rule issued during the pandemic that gives US officials unusual power to quickly expel migrants who cross the border without permission.
Biden officials fear the change in the law will attract a surge of migrants at a time when Republicans are accusing President Biden of being too soft on illegal immigration.
In a joint appearance this Thursday at the State Department, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that migrants should not confuse the expiration of Title 42 on May 11 with the authorization to cross the border, despite what they called a barrage of misinformation from people smugglers offering to help them.
“The smugglers’ propaganda is false,” Mayorkas said. “Our border is not open and it will not be open after May 11.”
Mayorkas and Blinken followed up their warnings with the announcement of new measures intended to reduce the number of people willing to risk a life-threatening journey north of the US-Mexico border through jungles and deserts. .
The centerpiece of the effort will be what US officials have called “regional processing centers,” designed to determine people’s eligibility to enter the United States legally before they begin their journey and educate them about federal programs that provide their services. services to refugees and other legal migrants.
US officials said the Biden administration could significantly increase admissions to its refugee resettlement program and other pathways to US residency, including family reunification and work programs, but did not provide further details.
