By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – News that the United States will end a Pandemic-related Expulsion Policy at the U.S. Mexico Border has boosted hopes in northern Mexico. Thousands of migrants, including families stranded within shelters or makeshift camps, have been waiting for months to be granted asylum in the United States.

U.S. Health officials plan to make public plans for this week to cancel Title 42’s May termination order. Reuters first reported Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued this order during Trump’s administration in March 2020. Trump was an anti-immigration hardliner.

Despite being criticized by immigration activists, experts in health, and other members of his own party, U.S. president Joe Biden (a Democrat) has kept the law in place since he assumed office in January 2021.

Title 42 gives border guards the ability to expel all migrants arrested crossing into the United States. They can do this quickly, sometimes within hours of their arrest, without giving them an opportunity to apply for U.S. refugee status.

So far, more than one million migrants have been returned. Fearing persecution or violence in their homelands, many have decided to stay in Mexico and either try again or wait in danger at the border.

Laura, 32 said that it was great news. She fled Michoacan, Mexico after her 16 year-old daughter died.

“The same day that they lift Title 42 God willing, I hope to cross,” said she, declining to reveal her last name out of fear for security. For over a month, she and her other two children (9 and 4) have been in Tijuana Mexico waiting to apply for asylum.

Enrique Lucero (municipal director of migrant service in Tijuana) said that he believes there are thousands upon thousands of migrants here – just over San Diego, California. Reynosa in Mexico, which is located across McAllen, Texas, has also seen the emergence of makeshift camps.

Although many of the migrants hail from Mexico and South America, Central America and The Caribbean, migrants also come from other parts of Africa, such as Ukraine and those fleeing conflict.

Jose Maria Garcia is the shelter director at Tijuana’s Movimiento Juventud2000. He said that this gives people hope.

Garcia and others who support immigrant rights have been critical of the policy for years and now cheer its ending. Garcia said that it could lead to more migrants heading north, which would be a problem for the already overcrowded border shelters.

He stated that “we know this will increase arrivals of migrants” and “most of the shelters have already reached capacity.”