In anticipation of a surge of migrants, President Joe Biden is temporarily deploying another 1,500 active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border days before ending a controversial Trump-era border policy that has allowed his administration to rapidly expel migrants en masse.
Set to expire May 11, the so-called Title 42 policy was first implemented by former President Donald Trump on dubious grounds that migrants could be turned away to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. But the policy has continued for more than two years under Biden, has led to lawsuits and the resignation of a senior administration official, and has become a political flashpoint on the left.
Now, as Title 42 ends, the new troops will be stationed for 90 days alongside the 2,500 military personnel already at the border. Some Democrats have condemned Biden’s decision to maintain the policy for so long and to further militarize the border. But others — particularly those in purple states who could face tough reelection fights — have backed the president’s strategy, which is designed to protect him from right-wing attacks as he runs for reelection.
Immigrant advocates have seen the deployment as evidence that the Biden administration isn’t sufficiently concerned about the fate of migrants seeking protection at the border. “Our border is militarized enough,” said Marisa Limón Garza, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. “Additional military presence aggravates the tension as people attempt to seek asylum and find avenues to express their fears. Instead of spending money on troops, the Biden administration should redirect it to border communities and NGOs working on the ground.”
Biden’s plan for the border
Title 42’s expiration raises concerns that it could trigger a huge influx of migrants that the US is unprepared to humanely process and absorb. The policy has allowed the US to expel migrants more than 2.8 million times since 2020, with many…
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