President Biden cracks down on border control ahead of termination of Title 42

The White House revealed a set of new border control measures this week aimed at mitigating the increasingly dire situation at the southern border with Mexico ahead of the termination of Title 42, which allowed border patrol agents to turn away some migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it would be expanding Title 42 effective immediately, including a measure that adds Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua to the list of countries from which migrants will be turned away from the border until Title 42 is lifted.

The White House also announced it will provide migrants who are turned away with the possibility of a parole program that allows them a chance to enter the US under sponsorship by a United States citizen on a two-year work permit.

There will be approximately 30,000 available slots a month for migrants from the four applicable countries, which account for the majority of the migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum.

The Mexican government has reached an agreement with the United States to host 30,000 applicants who will remain in Mexico while their paperwork is processed. 

In addition to these measures, Biden also cracked down on illegal border crossings, announcing this week that anyone caught crossing the border illegally will be instantly eligible for expedited deportation and will receive a five-year ban from attempting to re-enter the United States.

The White House’s announcement came as Republicans in the House of Representatives railed against Biden’s border policy in various speeches as they nominated candidates for House Speaker over the past four days.