US authorities fear a pull on their southern border this week, with the scheduled end of a measure taken during the pandemic, which allowed migrants to be deported to Mexico without delay, in the name of the fight against Covid-19. Barring a final twist, this device known as "Title 42" is scheduled to end Thursday, May 11 at 23:59 p.m. Washington time.
Joe Biden's administration fears an influx of thousands of migrants and border towns are under pressure.
In Texas, the municipalities of El Paso, Brownsville and Laredo declared Monday the state of emergency to streamline the care of the many candidates for exile - mainly from Latin America, but also from China, Russia or Turkey - already there.
In El Paso, hundreds of people sleep on the streets, protected from the sun by sheets or lying on cardboard boxes, while children beg. Mayor Oscar Leeser expects to face a wave of "12,000 to 15,000 people" over the weekend: up to 10,000 migrants are waiting in the nearby Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, according to a recent count by his services, and more are still expected to reach the border in the coming days.
Asylum system reactivated
"Title 42" was activated in 2020 by the administration of former President Donald Trump, in the name of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. His successor, Joe Biden, had extended its validity. In practice, this measure has mainly prevented access to the US asylum system: migrants without visas were turned back, without being able to file an application. From Friday, this will be possible again and candidates for exile will be able to have their case processed by the courts. A process that can take years.
The end of this exceptional device arouses the ire of American conservatives. The Republicans promise a real migratory "chaos" and some of them consider that the United States is now in a "state of siege". The Biden administration is "rolling out the red carpet for people around the world," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lashed out Monday as he announced he was mobilizing his state's National Guard to guard the border.
The issue is thorny for President Joe Biden, who has just announced his candidacy for a second term in 2024. If the right makes him a lax trial, the associations of defense of migrants accuse him of carrying out a migration policy not so different from that of Donald Trump. Between a message of humanity and a firm speech, the president delivers a balancing act.
With the expiration of "Title 42," his administration decided to send an additional 1,500 troops to the U.S. border with Mexico, to bolster the 2,500 troops already assisting border police.
Tougher evictions
The government insists on legal immigration channels. Under the new rules that will apply from Friday, migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally will be able to apply for asylum, but it will be harder for them to prove their claim. Those who have been rejected will be deported to their country of origin or to Mexico, and will be prohibited from filing a new application for several years.
Applicants must also undergo an appointment system at border posts via an online border police application. But the system's repeated dysfunctions frustrate many asylum seekers: some simply try their luck by queuing at the border.
Tension has risen further in Texas since eight migrants were killed Sunday in Brownsville by a driver who ran into them at a bus stop. According to police, the suspect ran a red light. He was charged with manslaughter.
In El Paso, the city is planning buses to help migrants travel elsewhere in the United States. A second best defended by Oscar Leeser, the mayor. U.S. immigration legislation "has been broken for some time," long before the Biden or Trump era, he said. "All of this is endless and we really need to figure out which direction to take."
With AFP
The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app