Many US troops commenced a new mission on Wednesday along the southern border. The American officials said an influx of migrants is preparing for the unforeseeable as a border restriction enforced during the Trump administration is about to expire on Thursday. El Paso Mayor, Oscar Leeser, said they have been preparing for the unknown people as they do not know who will come through the border; it can be families or single adults. Leeser visited the nearby areas on Wednesday and stated that about 5000 to 10000 people have been waiting to cross the border after the law’s end.

On Wednesday, Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino said that his border city in southern Texas is getting ready for the expiration of pandemic-related restrictions. According to Trevino, Laredo is predicting the relocation of migrants from overloaded processing centers in Brownsville and El Paso. He said It seemed like a hurricane was heading toward them. On Wednesday, US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz showed the number of migrants as small, stating that it had only occurred in the “last five to six days” before lifting Title 42, the border restriction law.

Ortiz recognized that there had been an unusual influx of immigrants willingly approaching the border, putting pressure on the system. However, he clarified that there would not be a tense situation, and anyone could not cross the border freely. American Northern Command spokesperson John Cornelio said around 500 US soldiers are already on the border to assist the American Customs and Border Protection. He said troops would further assist in data entry and warehouse support tasks. John Cornelio said 950 more soldiers, mostly from Marines and the army, will join at the border by the end of this month.

What is Title 42, and why is it expiring?

Immigration officials are already dealing with a significant increase in migrants. Title 42 is expiring; a policy passed in 2020 to stop the spread of Covid-19 by allowing authorities to expel migrants at the southern border quickly. The policy expires on Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET, and federal authorities have alerted about the possible situation. It can create an already tough situation more challenging.

On May 11, 2020, Title 42 was implemented during the Trump administration to prevent the spread of the pandemic and used to stop entry to migrants at the US-Mexico border. The restriction is ending on May 11 at midnight. In the pandemic starting days, US health departments issued a public health order, the main focus of which was to stop Corona Virus from spreading. The policy led the officials to expel the migrants at US land borders swiftly.

Furthermore, the Policy of Title 42 is expiring as the Biden administration has decided to lift public health restrictions regarding Covid. Under the border law, migrants were sent back to their home countries or returned to Mexico. According to US Customs and Border Protection data, under the policy, authorities have expelled migrants more than 2.8 million times. Analysts and officials predict that after lifting border restrictions, a migrant flux will head towards the border to enter the US.

Another reason for the migrants spike is the impatience of the migrants sent back to Mexico under the policy. Since the start of the Biden government, more than 13000 incidents of kidnapping, rape, torture, and other violent attacks have been reported on people blocked from crossing the border.