El Paso Declares State of Emergency as Title 42 Is Set To End

The Texas city of El Paso is entering a state of emergency Monday as the pandemic-era Title 42 expires and the city braces for what is expected to be a surge of migrants now camped in Mexico attempting to cross the border into America. The pandemic-related public health emergency that prompted the policy ends on May 11.Title 42 is a public health related measure that allowed the administrations of Presidents Trump and Biden to reject migrants seeking asylum at the border in order to “stop the introduction of communicable diseases” during the Covid pandemic.The policy allowed the administrations to essentially override immigration law in America using emergency executive powers. Those powers are coming to an end on May 11.“The reason we are issuing a state of emergency is to make sure we can stand up and be prepared for a May 11th, May 12 to have public sheltering, public housing,” El Paso’s mayor, Oscar Leeser, said at a press conference Sunday. “We do not provide permanent housing for anyone. Staff will be ready to give shelter and help people that have gone through the proper process.”According to Mr. Leeser, hotels at El Paso as well as two area middle schools will be on standby to house migrants, with more shelters potentially opening if needed. He also announced 24-hour security at the facilities.The deputy city manager of El Paso, Mairo D’Agostino, also said that more than 100 employees hired last year will be working to maintain the shelters and help get migrants traveling to their final destinations within 24 to 72 hours.Major cities that are often the final destinations, like New York and Chicago, are struggling with the costs of housing migrants, many of whom are being bused from border towns.On Sunday, the mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, called on Governor Abbot of Texas to stop sending migrants to Chicago. Mayor Adams of New York has also raised concerns over the strain the arrival of migrants has put on city resources.“We are completely tapped out. We have no more space, no more resources, and frankly, we are already in a surge,” Ms. Lightfoot told CNN. “We’ve been seeing over the last week, two to three weeks, 200-plus people coming to Chicago every single day.”Although migrants will be responsible for paying for their own transportation, Mr. D’Agostino said that the city may consider busing migrants out of El Paso if need be.According to Mr. Leezer, the financial burden will be on the federal government, which has already sent some $22 million to the city; it requested $42 million ahead to the end of Title 42.The administration is also planning to increase deportations once the pandemic-era measure ends.Last week, the administration announced that it would be opening processing centers in Latin America to help qualifying migrants legally enter America, Canada, or Spain, the first of which will open in Guatemala and Colombia.Although congressional Republicans pushed for ending the Covid state of emergency, with a resolution calling for doing so passing the House and the Senate in March, many Republicans have begun attacking Mr. Biden for ending the Title 42 protocols.“What we need to do is to keep Title 42, we need to keep this country safe, and we need to make certain that we build the wall,” Senator Blackburn said.

El Paso Declares State of Emergency as Title 42 Is Set To End

More from the New York Sun

‘The Receptionist’ Returns to an Office Where Cheerfully Banal Chatter Proves Deceptive

‘Python Hunt’ Colorfully Explores Searching for Snakes in Florida

Despite Rocky Past, Trump and Lula Boast of Successful White House Meeting on Trade, Drug Trafficking

More from the New York Sun

‘The Receptionist’ Returns to an Office Where Cheerfully Banal Chatter Proves Deceptive

‘Python Hunt’ Colorfully Explores Searching for Snakes in Florida

Despite Rocky Past, Trump and Lula Boast of Successful White House Meeting on Trade, Drug Trafficking

Unconditional Deadlines Should Be the Next Iranian Step

Beijing, Rather Than Islamabad, Is Driving Diplomacy To End Iran War

Stephen Breyer, One of America’s Liberal Lions, Emerges as Surprise Supporter of SCOTUS Shadow Docket

A Deep Dive Into Modern Masculinity in America

Appeals Circuits Split Over Rights of Aliens Who Are Here Illegally