In recent weeks, as Title 42 ended, President Biden signed an executive order to authorize the U.S. armed forces to address international drug trafficking and sent troops down to the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to a press release from the White House, the Executive Order on Authority to Order the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty to Address International Drug Trafficking was signed on April 27, which builds on Executive Order 14059 of Dec. 15, 2021. It will allow the U.S. military to respond to the national emergency that was declared with Executive Order 14059.
The Los Angeles Times reports that at the beginning of May, Biden also sent 1,500 troops to the southern border for a period of 90 days. It was done in anticipation of the end of Title 42 on May 11, which many officials believe will cause more migrants to head to the border. The troops will not perform law enforcement functions or interact with migrants in custody, according to officials.
"Those 1,500 [troops along the southern border], they're not there to enforce the law,” said Biden in an interview with MSNBC. “They're there to free up the border agents that need to be on the border...to move things along."
There are currently 2,500 National Guard troops already at the border, bringing the total up to about 4,000, according to Texas Tribune. The military personnel will reportedly assist with surveillance and data entry.
According to NBC News, Title 42 is a COVID-era policy whereby immigrants can be expelled from the U.S. without any consideration for asylum. It was adopted in 2020 under President Trump, ostensibly to stop the spread of COVID.
Over two million immigrants have been expelled due to the Title 42 policy, with many being sent into Mexico to try again, reported Texas Tribune.
With the end of Title 42, it is expected to be replaced by Title 8, a much stricter policy. According to the Department of Homeland Security, under Title 42, immigrants expelled at the border for arriving unlawfully could still come back later without penalty. Under Title 8, immigrants arriving at U.S. borders unlawfully will receive a five-year ban from entering the U.S. and could face harsher punishments if they come back. Border officials are encouraging migrants to use the CBPOne App at the border in order to be processed legally.
