The Biden Administration is breathing a sigh of relief over a dramatic decrease in illegal border crossings since the expiration of the Title 42 policy.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Border Patrol encounters dropped by half in the two days since the policy expired. On Friday, there were 6,300 encounters, and on Saturday, there were 4,200. Before the end of Title 42, there were over 10,000 reported encounters.
Mayorkas attributed the decrease to “a vitally important message” encouraging people arriving at the border to take legal pathways toward entry, which he said has been expanded by President Joe Biden in “an unprecedented way.”
Mayorkas also touted stiffer punishments under Title 8, which can include deportation, a five–year ban on entry, and possible criminal prosecution.
However, some Democrats have criticized the Biden administration for not doing enough. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D–AZ) said federal agencies “have had time to plan, but their efforts have fallen short” when it comes to helping border communities. Mayorkas said he would “respectfully disagree” and pointed to preparations for the expected influx of people, including the deployment of thousands more personnel and resources to assist Border Patrol.
The Biden Administration is also facing a legal battle over its plan to “parole” migrants at overcrowded holding facilities without a mandated court date. A federal judge in Florida issued a ruling on Thursday to block the officials from carrying out the plan. Mayorkas said that “a number” of individuals were released “because of the surge that we experienced before Title 42 came to an end” and that the administration is “executing our consequence regime exactly as planned.”
It remains to be seen whether the dramatic decrease in Border Patrol encounters is a sign of an overall decrease in illegal immigration or a temporary reprieve. With the Biden Administration having yet to produce a comprehensive immigration plan, the future of the immigration crisis remains uncertain.