Migrants Rush to US Border as Pandemic Restrictions End

Migrants Rush to US Border as Pandemic Restrictions¹ End

Large numbers of migrants are crossing the United States border just hours before pandemic-related asylum² restrictions are set to end. There are fears among migrants that new policies will make it far more difficult to enter the country.

In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a public health order to stop the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions under the order are widely known as Title 42. It permitted U.S. officials to quickly expel³ migrants at the border. But it carried no legal threat, leading to repeat border crossing attempts.

The Biden administration has been releasing measures to replace Title 42 restrictions. They include opening processing centers outside the U.S. and screening migrants at the border. After Thursday, migrants face being banned from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution⁴.

Rush to the border

The U.S. Border Patrol⁵ stopped about 10,000 migrants on Tuesday, one of its busiest days ever, one official told The Associated Press. That is almost twice the daily average of about 5,200 in March.

And more than 27,000 people had been detained⁶ by Customs and Border Protection, the official said, well above capacity. In March, 8,600 were detained.

In a move to clear out crowded holding centers, U.S. Border Patrol agents were told Wednesday to begin releasing some migrants. The agents instructed them to appear at an immigration office in the United States within 60 days, a U.S. official said.

At the same time, the U.S. has introduced new legal pathways into the country. Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial supporter and enter through an airport. Up to 1,000 can enter daily through land crossings with Mexico if they set up a meeting with government officials.

At the border

William Contreras of Venezuela told the AP that he heard many migrants were released in the United States.

"What we understand is that they won't be letting anyone else in," said Contreras' friend, Pablo. The man declined⁷ to give his last name because he planned to cross the border illegally. "That's the reason for our urgency to cross through the border today," he said.

In San Diego, California, more than 100 migrants, many of them Colombian families, slept between two border walls. They were watched over by Border Patrol agents who had nowhere to take them for processing.

Albino Leon, 51, was traveling with his wife and daughter. News that Title 42 was ending led the family to want to make the trip now.

"With the changes they are making to the laws, it's now or never," said Leon. He flew to Mexico from Colombia and got past the first border wall to reach U.S. land.

About 400 migrants gathered under strong winds along the Rio Grande River near El Paso, Texas. Major Sean Storrud of the Texas National Guard said his troops have explained to migrants the results of crossing illegally.

"The migrants don't really know what's going to happen," Storrud said.

Words in This Story

capacity — n. the ability to hold or contain people or things

apply — v. to ask formally for something, usually in writing

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

3 expel   

vt.把...开除，驱逐，放逐，排出，喷出

参考例句：

• They were told at first that they should simply expel the refugees.一开始有人告诉他们应该直接将那些难民驱逐出境。
• The headmaster may expel the boy from the school.校长可能要把那个男孩从学校开除。

4 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

5 patrol   

v.巡逻，巡查；n.巡逻，巡查，巡逻队

参考例句：

• They attacked two soldiers on patrol.他们袭击了两名正在巡逻的士兵。
• Policemen patrol the streets.警察在街上巡逻。

6 detained   

留住( detain的过去式和过去分词 )； 耽搁； 拘留； 扣留

参考例句：

• One man has been detained for questioning. 一个男人被拘留审问。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group. 他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

7 declined   

v.辞谢，谢绝（邀请等）( decline的过去式和过去分词 )；（道路、物体等）下倾；（太阳）落下；（在品格、价值上）降低

参考例句：

• We asked her to come to our party, but she declined. 我们请她来参加我们的晚会，但是她谢绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He declined to charge his memory with so many details. 他不愿在脑中记这么多细枝末节。 来自《简明英汉词典》