US Homeland Security Chief says illegal crossings down by 50%
Alejandro Mayorkas divulged that since Title 42 restrictions expired two days ago, illegal border crossings dropped by 50%.
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U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks about an investigation into the treatment of Haitian migrants on the U.S.-Mexican border at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2021 (Reuters)
According to US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, illegal border crossings from Mexico have reduced by 50% in the last two days after Title 42 limitations expired on Thursday night.
Last week, the Biden administration relayed that although the Trump-era restriction will be lifted, that does not insinuate that the border will be open.
Mayorkas told CNN that "Over the past two days, the US border patrollers experienced a 50% drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday."
"It is still early. We are on day three. But, you know, we have been planning for this transition for months and months," he added, adding that it was too soon to tell if the surge had crested.
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According to Mayorkas, US border patrol personnel prevented 6,300 persons from unlawfully entering the US on Friday and 4,200 on Saturday. Over 10,000 people attempted to enter the border earlier this week before Title 42 expired.
He attributed the unexpected drop in illegal entries to harsher penalties for illegal immigrants, including deportation and a five-year prohibition on admission, along with more authorized and safe methods for legal immigration.
The United States imposed harsh new immigration laws on Friday, leaving desperate migrants at its southern border with an unclear future, even as a top official voiced confidence in the system's stability.
