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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 10 May 2023

U.S. troops arrive at border as migration curbs set to end

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and who cross illegally and by
TARA COPP creating new pathways
Associated Press meant to offer alternatives
WASHINGTON (AP) — to a dangerous and often
About 550 U.S. active duty deadly journey.
troops have begun arriv- Some locations across the
ing along the U.S.-Mexico border are already seeing
border in the first group of an influx of migrants, of-
military support ahead of ten spurred by false infor-
an expected increase of mation from smugglers or
migrants, U.S. defense of- widespread rumors about
ficials said Tuesday. what the Title 42 changes
The movement of troops is will mean for their chances
part of efforts to beef up of being able to remain in
security along the southern the U.S.
border as the U.S. prepares Agents in the Border Pa-
for the end of immigration trol’s relatively quiet El
restrictions linked to the Centro, California, sector
coronavirus pandemic. stopped about 260 mi-
Those restrictions are set grants a day over a four
to expire Thursday, lead- or five day period through
ing to concerns about Sunday, up from about 90
whether that will result in Colombian migrants that were trying to evade U.S. Border Patrol wait to be processed near the a day the previous week,
an increase in migrants try- port of entry in Hidalgo, Texas, Thursday, May 4, 2023. said Gregory Bovino, the
ing to enter the U.S. starting Associated Press sector chief.q
Friday.
The forces will mainly be grounds of preventing the
used to help monitor and spread of COVID-19.
watch the border, or do The Biden administration
data entry and support, has said that it is ready
and are “not there in any to deal with whatever
way to be interacting with happens after Title 42’s
migrants,” said Brig. Gen. use ends, although it has
Pat Ryder, Pentagon press also repeatedly criticized
secretary. The goal is to Congress for not making
free up U.S. Customs and changes to the country’s
Border Protection person- immigration system.
nel to do law enforcement “We believe we have a ro-
activities. bust process to deal with
“They needed assistance what is going to occur after
performing some of those Title 42 lifts. Again, we’re us-
back shop type require- ing the tools that are avail-
ments so that they can able to us because Con-
focus on the law enforce- gress refuses to do their job
ment aspect of this,” Ryder as it relates to the border,”
said. White House press secre-
At least some of the active tary Karine Jean-Pierre said
duty troops will be used Tuesday.
near El Paso, Texas, he said, Roughly 2,500 National
while adding that CBP will Guard members are al-
decide where forces will ready spread across all
go. sectors of the border, pro-
More than 900 additional viding an array of support
soldiers, Marines and air- to CBP, including moni-
men will follow around the toring, detection and air
end of May. The initial plan transportation.
calls for a temporary 90- Separately, Texas Nation-
day deployment of the ac- al Guard troops are also
tive duty forces, because working along the border
they can be moved much under state authority. Ry-
more quickly to the border der said the active duty
than National Guard or Re- troops will be doing an en-
serve troops. tirely separate mission.
U.S. and international law Even with the COVID-19
give migrants the right to asylum restrictions still in
seek asylum. However, the place, the administration
U.S. has used Title 42 of a has seen record num-
public health law to expel bers of people crossing
migrants with no chance the border. President Joe
at asylum 2.8 million times Biden has responded by
since March 2020 on the cracking down on those