Mayorkas Vows Tough Penalties for Illegal Border Crossings

The Biden administration on Friday warned migrants heading to the southern border that the expiration of Title 42, a federal policy limited illegal immigration into the United States, would not make it easier for them to enter.

“Do not believe the lies of smugglers,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security secretary, said just after Title 42 expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. “The border is not open.”

For more than three years, Title 42 had allowed the United States government to swiftly expel many people who crossed the border before they could apply for asylum. Federal border agents were set to return on Friday to the prepandemic rules for enforcing immigration law, known as Title 8.

People arriving at the border illegally will now be deemed ineligible for asylum and face “tougher consequences,” including a five-year ban on re-entry and potential criminal prosecution, Mr. Mayorkas said in the statement.