The Pentagon said Tuesday it will deploy more troops to help provide security at the US-Mexico border as officials fear a surge in migrant crossing attempts when Covid-19 immigration restrictions end on May 11.
Some 1,500 troops will be sent to the border, adding to the 2,500 already there to support Border Patrol authorities in the face of a possible gush of frontier crossings.
On May 11, President Joe Biden's administration will lift Title 42, the strict protocol implemented by previous president Donald Trump to deny entry to migrants and expel asylum seekers based on the Covid pandemic emergency.
With the easing of coronavirus regulations -- including Monday's decision to end vaccination requirements for inbound travelers -- the Biden administration can no longer justify using Title 42 to stem migration.
Instead, the administration plans to deter undocumented migrants using Title 8, which essentially criminalizes illegal border crossings, making future legal residency impossible.
