Washington
CNN
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Homeland Security officials told CNN that daily migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border fell by more than half in January compared to last month.
Last month, border officials grappled with a spike in border encounters, averaging about 7,000 daily, before the expected end of Title 42, a public health agency that has been in place since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. bottom.
The Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the termination of Title 42 and has so far left it in place. But the influx of immigrants has highlighted the challenges facing the Biden administration amid mass immigration in the Western Hemisphere. The number of daily arrests has declined, but it is unclear how long this trend will continue as people continue to face poor conditions in their home countries.
During his presidency, Joe Biden has faced changing immigration patterns that have strained federal and local resources. The issue has become an increasing political vulnerability for his administration, drawing heavy criticism from Republicans and Democrats and a key point of discussion with countries in the South, especially Mexico.
Mr. Biden earlier this month met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to host a North American summit where migration was a high profile topic.
Days before his visit to Mexico, the Biden administration expanded its humanitarian parole program to accept up to 30,000 immigrants each month from Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. This program provides a legal pathway for people of these nationalities to enter the United States without crossing national borders. The administration also entitles these nationalities to Title 42. This means that if you do not apply for the program, your application may be rejected by the authorities.
Officials have cited the expansion of the parole program and Title 42 as one reason for the drop in daily encounters this month.
Biden hinted at the potential for less border crossings while in Mexico, saying, “This will reduce the number of people trying to cross the border legally, and therefore illegally.” said.
“We’re trying to make it easier for people to get here and expand their ability to get here, but not put them through that dreaded process,” he added, adding that immigrants to the north often take You mentioned dangerous travel.
But immigration advocates share concerns about the program, which requires sponsorship and could result in more people being denied under Title 42, so only offered to those with ties to the U.S. It is claimed that there is a possibility that
