The Biden administration is preparing to send 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border starting next week in anticipation of a surge of migrants when the Trump-era border policy, known as Title 42, expires May 11. According to the White House, the troops will be deployed for 90 days in support roles so that U.S. Customs and Border Protection can focus on fieldwork.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in a statement classified the decision as “militarization of the border,” calling it “unacceptable.” Menendez recently proposed his own plan to secure the borders. The Title 42 policy was created during the pandemic to address public health concerns and allowed U.S. officials to turn away tens of thousands of migrants at the border. Even with the restrictions, the U.S. has seen a record number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently resumed busing migrants to so-called sanctuary cities, like New York, where Mayor Eric Adams this week accused Abbott of playing racial politics.
