Ted Hesson, Mica Rosenberg

WASHINGTON (Reuters] -The United States is ending a country-wide, pandemic-related expulsion strategy that effectively closes down U.S. border security with Mexico. U.S. Health officials stated on Friday that the policy was not needed in order to preserve public health.

Title 42 will continue to be in force until May 23, to give border officials enough time to plan for termination and ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations for migrants arriving in the country, according to a 30-page directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC released a separate statement that stated, “After taking into account current public health conditions as well as the increased availability of tools for fighting COVID-19 (such high-effective vaccines and therapeutics),” the Director of CDC.

This order was issued originally in March 2020 after countries across the globe closed their borders under COVID-19 fear. More than 1 million refugees and migrants were quickly expelled since that time.

Following reports by Reuters on Wednesday about details of the plan, other news media outlets have also reported them. [L2N2VX36J]

Despite intense criticism and promises by his campaign to end the Republican-era restrictive immigration policies, U.S. President Joe Biden (a Democrat) kept Title 42 in effect after he took office in January 2021.

Medical experts, leading Democrats and medical professionals, and the United Nations criticised Title 42. They said it exiles migrants to Mexico and denies them the legal right to seek asylum. Furthermore, they claimed that the scientific evidence doesn’t support the stated goal to limit the spread of the disease.

Biden was criticized by Republicans this week for saying that lifting pandemic restrictions would allow more immigrants to illegally enter the country at a moment when crossings of the border are breaking records.

On Friday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials spoke to reporters and said that they have set up temporary facilities along the border in order to accommodate more migrants. They also coordinated efforts with other agencies.

In anticipation of these changes, DHS already has redeployed over 600 police officers at the border.

Alejandro Mayorkas from Homeland Security said, “Nevertheless we know that smugglers spread misinformation to exploit vulnerable migrants.” Let me clarify: anyone who cannot establish legal grounds to stay in the United States is going to be expelled.

‘WE CAN’T RETURN’

Last week, the Biden administration released a significant regulation that will speed up deportations and asylum processing at the U.S. Mexican border. It is due to go into effect in May and close to Title 42’s expiration.

A DHS official said that the Trump administration could also “employin much greater numbers” another Trump-era policy, the Migrant Protection Protocols. This program requires asylum seekers to remain in Mexico until they can be heard by U.S. courts. However, the Biden administration was forced by an American judge to restore MPP after it tried to end it.

Reuters spoke to several migrants who waited for weeks at Reynosa’s border with nearly 2,000 people. They expressed hope that the order will be lifted and they would legally seek asylum in the United States.

Hilda Gonzalez (34), a Guatemalan migrant, spent eight months in Reynosa camp, along with her daughter, eight, and son, 10.

Gonzalez said that she plans to remain here until they can seek asylum. She did not give any details. “It is better to be here, sleeping on ground, rather than returning home. It’s not because we can return.