Hours before the Supreme Court required the pandemic immigration order known as Title 42 to stay in place, NewsNation correspondents witnessed a steady stream of people trying to cross illegally.
24 year old Igor — a Russian citizen who says he fled his country to avoid the draft — is one of them. He still hopes to apply for asylum and may be able to because customs and border protection has allowed more Russians to be exempt from Title 42.
“We are using this big opportunity to receive political asylum in United States. Thank you Joseph Biden for this opportunity. God bless you,” Igor said to NewsNation.
Title 42 is used most to expel migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The process, however, largely depends on whether the migrants’ countries of origin agree to take them back.
While the Biden administration has argued for an end to Title 42, it has estimated that as many as 18,000 migrants would enter the country each day once the rule is lifted.
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