2,000 migrants await Title 42 status on US-Mexico border in harsh cold

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Nov 2022 00:15
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Migrants living in makeshift tents in the desert cold wait for the decision of the Biden administration regarding the Title 42 policy.

A United States border patrol agent on horseback using a rein against a Haitian migrant, Texas (AFP)

Title 42, a Trump-implemented policy that allows the United States to immediately deport migrants that are seeking asylum directly after they cross into the country, is holding over 2,000 migrants at the US-Mexican borders in the cold winter weather as they wait to see if President Joe Biden will rescind the policy.

The migrants have established a temporary camp inside the Mexican territory near the US borders.

The policy was briefly rescinded on Tuesday after being fought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in court, however, it was later reinstated by another US judge on Wednesday.

The decision gave Biden's administration 5 weeks to get ready to manage the entry of the large number of migrants waiting on the border.

"Biden is supposed to eventually let people pass through, but more orderly. That's what we're waiting for, but a lot of people [migrants] have already turned themselves in," Enmanuel Ferrer, a 16-year-old Venezuelan, told Sputnik, as he waited with his 3 younger siblings on the borders with the rest of the migrants.

"Every day, about 500 people cross [into the United States]. A line even forms to enter into the United States," the young migrant stated.

"A lot of people cross over because they don't want to be here anymore [the makeshift migrant camp along the river of the border]," Ferrer continued.

"They don't want to be here during the winter. At night the cold is strong. We each have to cover each other with five blankets."

Ferrer also added that while the majority of the migrants are from Venezuela, there are also others present from different countries, such as Colombians, Guatemalans, and Haitians, among other nationalities.

"Over there we had a house, we had everything, but the problem is the economy. There are no good jobs, it's not enough to live and eat, it's hard," Ferrer said, describing the state of his country which caused them to leave and seek entry to the US.

A number of migrants tried to cross into the US before Title 42 was rescinded and were detained by US federal agents.

Ferrer explains that some of the people there seem to be unaware that the policy was reinstated.

"So they terminated [Title 42] and people started to pass through, but apparently they're sending [deporting] migrants to Mexico City, Tijuana, other places," Ferrer added.

Another migrant that was waiting at the US-Mexico border told Sputnik that she was one of the people that were previously deported under Title 42 as she attempted to cross into the US.

42-year-old Venezuelan Maria Angela said she "barely arrived today. I turned myself into [US Border Patrol custody] on Saturday and they deported me on Saturday."

"Then, I waited for my family to send me money so I could return here [Ciudad Juarez]. They had put us in an airplane and sent us to San Diego, California, and then we crossed over into Tijuana [Mexico]. So I barely arrived here today," she added.

Angela added that over 60 migrants crossed into the US Wednesday night (following the ACLU court verdict), thinking that the policy was revoked.

"We're always waiting to see what happened to some people that turned themselves in yesterday," she added.

This year marked the second in a row where the US witnessed record-breaking illegal border crossings into the country.

According to CBP, during the fiscal year of 2022, more than 2 million illegal crossings into the US were recorded.

"We're hearing waiting to see if they terminate Title 42," Angela told Sputnik.

"They apparently told Biden that he had only five weeks [to keep it in place]."

The cold has become a major struggle for the migrants awaiting the policy decision as they group up in small tents and use heavy blankets to try and keep themselves warm as the winter looms in.

"It's starting to get cold, we live in tents. The cold is getting very strong," Angela said.