Washington DC, USA.- The Biden administration has returned more than 2,400 migrants from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti to Mexican territory since early Friday after the pandemic-justified and so-called Title 42 ‘express deportations’ policy expired.
Considered historically, the return to Mexican territory of immigrants from third countries, which began in the early hours of Friday, May 11, occurs under Title 8 of the US Immigration Act, and considers two categories: “deportation” and “voluntary return”. .
“This is the first time the Mexican government has accepted the return of non-Mexican nationals at our land border under Title 8 processes. It has been working well in recent days,” said Undersecretary for Border Policy Blas Núñez-Neto. Department of Homeland Security.
Without providing a precise breakdown, Núñez-Neto nevertheless confirmed that Mexican immigrants were included in the picture when asked by Grupo REFORMA; He also previously promised that a large portion of the migrants who returned to Mexico starting Friday would, after all, involve “voluntary returns.”
Unlike “express deportations” under Title 42, which carry no criminal consequences for the undocumented, Title 8 contemplates a ban on entry into the United States for up to 5 years, and even prison terms if they attempt to cross illegally again.
According to Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ephrat last Friday, the maximum number of migrants Mexico promised to receive after the bilateral agreement announced in May was a maximum of 30,000 migrants returned per month (about a thousand per day) .
Under the provisions of Title 8, but previously applied only to Mexicans, the U.S. government can grant the “voluntary return” to Mexico of those arrested while crossing the border or undergoing “deportation” procedures.
In principle, irregular immigrants can claim asylum upon arrival in the United States, but the Biden administration has already begun using a new rule that would prevent those who have previously passed through a country from applying for asylum in the United States to claim such protection. Before.
Challenged in federal court in California by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the rule has come under fierce attack from immigrant advocacy activists, but the Biden administration hopes it can deter immigrants from reaching its border.
The U.S. says illegal crossings have declined in recent days
Today, the administration promised that irregular crossing attempts from Mexico had been cut in half over the past three days, compared with levels seen in the three days before Title 42 was suspended at midnight Thursday, but avoided success.
According to Undersecretary Núñez Neto, the number of arrests at the border over the last three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) averaged less than 5,000, marking a sharp drop in the three days before Title 42 expires. In practice, an average of 10,000 arrests were recorded.
Earlier, the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed in official reports that the possibility of more than 13,000 arrests daily at the Mexican border has not been ruled out.
In general comments today, Biden administration officials thanked Mexico for immigration enforcement actions along the Mexican border, but declined to say what they were.
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