US-Mexico border: Long queues of migrants have formed this week in Tijuana, near the huge wall that separates Mexico and the United States, in the closing days of the COVID-19 program, which barred individuals crossing from requesting asylum.
The regulation, known as Title 42, is slated to expire at midnight on May 11, causing a surge of migrants to the border, where they are currently huddled under black plastic or in homemade tents waiting to enter the United States.
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“Nothing like this has ever been seen before,” Tijuana’s head of migrant relations, Enrique Lucero, said.
US-Mexico border: Activists claim that migrants began arriving in Tijuana, which borders San Diego, California, this week, hoping to beat an anticipated surge in asylum claims after May 11.
They note that others have attempted to cross illegally rather than wait.
The US has argued that the repeal of Title 42 does not imply an open border.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that he will hold a video conference with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday, with migration being one of the main subjects of discussion.
The Biden administration and the state of Texas are sending troops to the border in anticipation of a surge in illegal immigration.
Lizbeth Diaz contributed reporting, and Sonali Paul edited the piece.