Democrat Mayor Braces for Border Chaos as Title 42 Ends

The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas, announced that he will declare a state of emergency as the city prepares for an influx of migrants ahead of Title 42's anticipated expiration next month.

Title 42, a Trump administration pandemic-era rule that allows authorities to send migrants back over the border without going through a formal asylum process, is set to expire on May 11 after months of legal debate about whether the rule should remain post-pandemic. President Joe Biden has ultimately decided to let it expire, drawing backlash from Republicans and some Democrats who have warned that chaos would ensue without it. Critics of Title 42, however, say the public health order should not be used as immigration enforcement that deprives migrants of their legal rights.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser announced plans for how one of the largest border cities in the United States will prepare for a rise in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border when the rule expires.

Leeser will declare a state of emergency prior to May 11, he said during a meeting on Monday as the city anticipates an influx of tens of thousands of migrants, according to El Paso-based television news station KFOX-TV.

"We will do it prior to May 11, to declare a state of emergency, for the main reason being we want to make sure we have schools prepared and ready to go, the civic center ready to go and it's going to be very important that we are prepared strictly for temporary housing," he said,

Deputy City Manager Mario D'Agostino said up to 35,000 migrants could cross the border once Title 42 ends, though the exact number of expected migrants remains uncertain.

"But the concerning thing is for hearing that there's 3 to 4 hundred coming via freight train daily, just freight train entry daily in Ciudad Juarez and so that number, whatever it is, it continues to grow," D'Agostino said, the news station reported.

Newsweek reached out to Mayor Leeser and the White House for further comment via email.

According to KFOX, the city is preparing to use vacant schools to take in migrants and will turn to their convention center if they become full. They could also use hotels for shelters if needed. D'Agostino said plans are not concrete, as both the city and the federal government is not entirely sure how many migrants will cross the border.

Biden Critics Call Out Administration for Letting Title 42 Expire

Title 42 has emerged as a difficult issue for Biden, who announced his 2024 reelection campaign on Tuesday. He has found himself stuck between his promises to embrace a more humanitarian-focused immigration policy than his predecessor, and Republican attacks blaming him for rising border crossings.

He has supported letting the measure expire but has faced criticism from his party's progressive wing over his immigration policy, which many view as too conservative.

Attempted border crossings have increased in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data. There were 458,088 encounters throughout all of 2020, and that number rose to 2,378,944 in 2022. In the first three months of 2023, there were 1,223,067 crossings.

Biden administration critics say these increased numbers stem from Biden's allegedly lax border policies. Others, however, say external factors, including civil unrest in some Central American countries, are fueling increased migration to the United States.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, shared news of the emergency declaration, warning of the effects Title 42's expiration will have on border towns.

"The termination of Title 42 will be disastrous for Texas border towns," he wrote. "President Biden doesn't care about the pain he's inflicting on Texans that live along the southern border."