With one day left before the expiration of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows the U.S. to quickly expel illegal migrants, the Biden administration is preparing a memo directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to release migrants into the U.S. without court dates and without the ability to track them, according to three sources who spoke with NBC News.
Previously, when faced with overcrowding issues at detention facilities, the administration had released migrants through an Alternatives to Detention Case Management Pilot Program, which required migrants to check-in on a mobile app until they receive a court date, NBC reported.
Going forward, there will be no tracking of individuals who cross the U.S. southern border illegally, become apprehended by authorities, and then are released into the interior of the country.
On May 10, CBP agents captured more than 10,300 migrants who crossed illegally, which marks the highest single day total in U.S. history. That number is expected to rise once Title 42 ends tomorrow, as more than 700,000 illegal aliens are waiting in Mexico to cross the U.S. border.
“We’re already breaking and we haven’t hit the starting line,” according to an official with the Department of Homeland Security who spoke anonymously with NBC.
A DHS spokesperson said the updated policy will only apply to illegal aliens who have been vetted.
“As Republican and Democratic administrations alike have done in the past to protect the safety and security of Border Patrol agents and migrants in the event of severe overcrowding conditions, U.S. Border Patrol sectors may consider the use of parole for certain migrants who have undergone strict national security and public safety vetting,” the spokesperson told NBC.
“Each parole will be considered on an individualized case-by-case basis, and individuals who are released will be required to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and undergo removal proceedings in immigration court. The targeted use of parole will allow Border Patrol to focus its resources most effectively quickly processing and removing individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the country,” they added.
