Story of the Week •
May 11th, 2023
What Does Title 42's End Mean for the Border Crisis?
Herika Martinez / AFP - Getty Images
Migrants, border cities, and immigration officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are bracing for what happens as the key Title 42 policy comes to an end Thursday.
For Context: The CDC implemented Title 42, which allows for quicker expulsions of migrants during public health emergencies, in March 2020. Meanwhile, rising numbers of migrants have continued to arrive at the border; on Tuesday, officials apprehended more than 10,300 migrants, a jump from the 7,000-8,000 crossings per day last week.
What Now? With restrictions ending, the Biden administration is planning to automatically deny asylum to migrants who passed through third countries and did not seek asylum there before arriving in the U.S. Meanwhile, NBC News (Lean Left bias) reported the administration is preparing to direct Customs and Border Protection to release migrants into the U.S. without court dates or the ability to track them. Immigration enforcement is also returning to Title 8 authority, which allows for penalties for repeat offenders which were suspended during Title 42.
Latest Developments: Discussing a call with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador this week, President Biden said the border was “going to be chaotic for a while.” Earlier in May, Biden directed 1,500 active-duty troops to the border to help with administrative tasks while border agents focused on enforcement.
How the Media Covered It: Coverage across the spectrum highlighted concerns about border authorities and communities being overwhelmed by migrants. Right-rated sources were more likely to focus on criticisms of Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and to frame current migrant levels as dangerous and non-sustainable. Left-rated sources were more likely to highlight humanitarian concerns for the migrants, and concerns about the Biden administration would return to stricter border enforcement policies.
More from AllSides
-
BIAS ALERT: Outlets on the left reported more on ethical questions around Clarence Thomas, while some outlets on the right suspected ulterior motives behind those questions.
-
ALLSIDES ANALYSIS: Bing News’ homepage displayed zero sources on the right during a two-week period analyzed, creating a filter bubble.
-
News media outlets' capitalization and stylizing of "black" and "white" in terms of race and ethnicity could be a sign of media bias. Here's which outlets stylize the terms differently.
-
What does the term “mainstream media” actually mean? The question sparked an interesting discussion within the AllSides team.
Snippets from the Right
Border Patrol Will Release Migrants From Custody The Minute Title 42 Ends, Officials Say
Washington Free Beacon
"Border Patrol officials warned earlier this month that as many as 700,000 migrants are waiting in Mexico to cross into the United States. Meanwhile, the Darién Gap, which connects South and Central America, has seen a 500 percent increase in migrant crossings."
Even Democrats realize Biden's Title 42 blunder is about to be a massive disaster
Fox News (opinion)
"Americans may be divided on the number of immigrants to admit every year, whether to prioritize family or employment in selecting them, or how to deal with the millions here illegally. But most understand that this country can only function under the rule of law – and the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and the border is as lawless as it is incompetent."
Snippets from the Center
Title 42 shifted attitudes about migration – south of US border
Christian Science Monitor (opinion)
"Mexico was never a “migration nation” like the U.S. But American policy written during the pandemic has caused a bottleneck at the border – and forced Mexicans to rethink their obligations to migrants."
When the Border is About To Explode
Dan Schnur for the AllSides Blog (opinion)
"The immigration debate is about to get much louder and uglier – and it is going to get much worse for Biden before it gets better. The president and his re-election campaign will be forced to choose between disillusioning Latino voters and driving away centrists. His best bet is to change the subject to issues that work to his benefit, but that’s not going to happen this week."
Snippets from the Left
What the End of a Pandemic-Era Health Order Will Mean for the Southern Border
New York Times
"In the days and weeks ahead, managing the high numbers of migrants in a safe and orderly way will be the biggest challenge. The Biden administration has rolled out new policies to deter illegal crossings — some of which have been criticized by immigration advocates — but it has done little to address the immediate issue of managing the expected high volume of people."
The Real-Life Consequences Of Biden Restarting Family Detention
HuffPost (opinion)
"The policy began under the Obama administration in 2014, in response to an increase in Central American families seeking asylum at the border. The practice only expanded under former President Donald Trump, who cracked down on immigration with a series of harsh policies. Women and children were held in prison-like facilities for an indefinite period of time in an attempt to deter families from seeking asylum at the southern border of the U.S."
