The Department of Homeland Security is considering calling in volunteers to reinforce the southern border, fearing an onslaught of migrants that would far exceed its resources.
The US could be just hours away from another wave of mass migration if the Biden administration lifts Section 42, a provision that border officials have relied on to quell the border crisis during the pandemic.
DHS Assistant Secretary John Tien asked staff to “consider supporting the DHS Volunteer Force,” more than a year after the volunteer force was activated for last year’s migrant surge, according to the email.
Volunteer forces have also been called in to assist with the resettlement of Afghan refugees last year and the influx of migrants in 2019. More than 1,400 employees have volunteered, according to an email released by Fox News.
‘[Customs and Border Protection] continues to encounter large numbers of people on the southwestern border,” the email said. “We are looking for your help to support our frontline CBP staff.”
It comes after a new report shows more than 170,000 migrants are waiting on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border to cross and ask for asylum if the policy is lifted.
Many of these people are estimated to be only hours from the border, while others planning to migrate are days away, officials familiar with the discussions told CNN.
Progressives have been pushing for the Biden administration to repeal Section 42, the coronavirus public health order used to expel migrants, but the number of migrants clashed at the southern border in February has already risen by 60 percent, raising fears that a historic surge in the spring and the summer months may be ahead of last year.
More than half of the 164,973 migrants encountered in recent months have been expelled under Section 42.
At the same time, there were reports of the detention of Ukrainian refugees under Article 42 on expulsion.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas said Border Patrol agents were reminded Thursday afternoon that there are individual exceptions to Section 42 that could apply to Ukrainians arriving at the southern border.
The number of migrants waiting to cross the border, reported to Axios by sources with direct knowledge of the discussions, has led to the creation of the Southwest Border Coordination Center (SBCC) to create a multi-agency response to the impending surge.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence estimates that 25,000 migrants are already waiting in Mexican shelters, waiting for Section 42 to expire so they can cross the US border.
Section 42, a policy introduced by former President Donald Trump to allow removals at the height of the pandemic, has been used to rapidly remove more than 1 million migrants on the southern border.
This allows the US to bypass asylum applications and remove those individuals from the country instantly after crossing the border illegally.
Section 42 was not meant to be permanent, but it continued to be enforced and defended in court under Biden as the administration tries to quell the crisis on the southern border.
Recent reports show the administration is leaning towards repealing Section 42 entirely after they were forced to end the practice of unaccompanied minors crossing the border.
The court order noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “foresees additional lifting of restrictions” as DHS becomes more capable of preventing the spread of COVID-19 at its facilities.
Every 60 days, the CDC reviews Section 42, and the deadline for the next renewal is early April, which means the provisions could end as early as next month.
A report released Thursday said intelligence officials are preparing for more than 170,000 migrants to move to the U.S. once Section 42 of the COVID era is repealed, allowing instant removal of asylum seekers due to the ongoing public emergency. healthcare. Pictured: Migrants wait in Mexico for trial dates on asylum claims
Ukrainian refugees and their Mexican relatives arrive at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, as people flee the region following the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian refugees arrive at Benito Juarez International Airport on Wednesday after being evacuated from Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Asylum seekers are not allowed to enter the US border due to Section 42.
“At this point, there are no changes: Section 42 is still in effect and anyone who attempts to illegally enter the country will be subject to border restrictions, including possible removal,” a White House spokesman told Axios.
They added, “We are still reaching out to the CDC regarding the use of Section 42 and how long it may remain in effect.”
DHS Assistant Secretary John Tien, in an email Wednesday, asked staff to “consider supporting the DHS Volunteer Force.”
The email reviewed by Axios requests Customs and Border Protection (CBP) support, especially with data entry assistance, and mentions the large number of migrants on the US southern border.
Since Biden took office, the CBP has faced at least 2.25 million migrants at the southern border, and officials expect those numbers to rise due to seasonal trends and the expected imminent end to Section 42.
In February alone, the CBP encountered 164,973 migrants at the southern border, up more than 10,000 from 154,745 in January. The highest peak in several decades came in July 2021 with nearly 214,000 encounters.
In fiscal year 2021, the number of people detained by border guards also reached a record high of 1.7 million people. Officials project similar numbers for fiscal year 2022 with the end of Section 42.
Democrats have been highly critical of Biden’s continued application of Section 42, and immigration advocates are outraged by the low number of adopted refugees.
Meanwhile, Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for its “open borders” policy, which has led to officials being stunned and a record number of border crossings, as well as reports of large numbers of illegal immigrants being released into the US.
The situation seems to be a lose-lose for Biden.
Further complicating matters is the war in Eastern Europe, which has resulted in hundreds of Ukrainians arriving at the US southern border and being rejected due to Section 42 restrictions.
Other reports show that these asylum seekers are being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Immigration advocates are calling for an end to Section 42 despite the state of emergency still in place in the US, and calls have increased this week as Ukrainians begin to arrive and seek asylum.
This week it was reported that journalists witnessed dozens of Ukrainian and Russian families gathering outside the southern US border, and families in Tijuana allege that CBP agents are being selective about who they let in.
Vicente Calderón, editor of Tijuanapress.com, said: “Even people on parole on humanitarian grounds will take a long time to get rejected. Some are allowed in, but not others.”
Ukrainian refugees arrive at the southern U.S. border seeking asylum but are denied because of Section 42. Pictured, a Ukrainian woman and her boyfriend wait for humanitarian visas near the San Isidro port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 10.
Since Biden took office, the number of crossings per month has increased significantly. In 2020, the last year of Donald Trump’s presidency, a total of 458,088 migrants were encountered at the border. In 2021, that number has increased to 1.73 million with Biden in the White House.
As the administration tries to find ways to contain migration and stem the flow at the southern border, Ukrainian refugees are now seeking asylum in the US.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, leading to a massive refugee crisis in Eastern Europe as millions of people fled the conflict. While many travel to neighboring countries such as Poland, more and more are arriving in the US now that Ukraine is in its 19th day of attack from Vladimir Putin.
Immigration lawyers in San Diego argue that the Section 42 policy is no longer needed and results in inhumane treatment of migrants and asylum seekers at the border as the administration claims it is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Biden administration has already repealed the parentless transition policy, but as U.S. restrictions ease, there are increasing calls to end the policy entirely.
A Ukrainian family listens to an agent from Mexican immigrant protection agency Grupo Beta while waiting for humanitarian visas near San Isidro Port of Entry on the US-Mexico border in Tijuana on Friday, March 11.
“It’s actually an inhumane policy and people are calling for it to be repealed and it’s not safe for families who are fleeing their country and trying to find peace,” said immigration lawyer Jacob Sapochnik.
Sapochnik, who helps Ukrainian families, says border guards are taking advantage of Section 42 and turning families away.
“The moment they reach the US and say they are here seeking asylum, they cannot send them back. They have to really process them and pass a critical interview,” Sapochnik said.
“However, they are just sending them back and they shouldn’t be doing that.”