Watch as hundreds of migrants cross the border in El Paso 0:45
(CNN) --
As administration officials considered a Trump-era border proposal this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Ron Klain, President Joe Biden's chief of staff, with concerns. , according to three sources with knowledge of the call.
The call, one of many that have come from lawmakers to the White House, was indicative of Biden's politically precarious position as officials try to fend off Republicans who criticize the administration's handling of the border and appease Democrats concerned about banning asylum seekers in the US
What is Title 42?
A border policy that allows quick deportation and generates debate
The Biden administration now faces a December deadline to end a public health authority, known as Title 42, that was invoked at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and allowed officials to turn away migrants found at the southern US border. USA, putting immigration back at the forefront.
Do not enter illegally, the US message to Venezuelan migrants 3:47
The end of the measure is expected to lead to an increase in border crossings, as the authorities will no longer be able to expel them quickly as has been done since March 2020.
During the call between Schumer and Klain, the Senate Majority Leader raised concerns about the administration's readiness for the impending termination and whether officials were really considering a new asylum policy, according to two sources with knowledge of the call.
Schumer and Klain speak regularly and often daily or more at critical times like the year-end legislative sprint currently underway.
But the emergence of the border issue in the discussion opens a window into a complex politics and political moment.
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Schumer, a New York Democrat who has long lobbied the administration to end Title 42, is not alone.
Administration officials have received a steady stream of calls from lawmakers as well as state and local officials, reflecting often widely divergent views on the authority's merits, people familiar with the matter said.
All the calls, however, echoed ongoing concerns about the termination of Title 42 and what it will mean along the border in recent weeks.
Biden Administration Prepares to End Trump-Era Border Policy After Title 42 Court Ruling
It's a dynamic that has played out as the Biden administration prepares intensely for a moment when officials have long grappled with how to navigate.
To some extent, it is the latest phase of an effort that has been long underway, with officials well aware from the first days in office that at some point the politics of the pandemic era would come to an end.
Staff and technology infrastructure have been directed to key entry points, with increased levels and resources expected to be announced in the coming days.
Immigration lawyer explains the 'root' of Title 42 3:15
When asked about concerns within the administration about the potential surge at the border once Title 42 is gone, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listed a number of staffing, prosecution, and infrastructure that have been implemented.
"We're going to get the job done, we're going to be prepared and we're going to make sure we have a humane process going forward," Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday at the White House briefing.
Still, cross-cutting views on border policy have converged with the important diplomatic component of managing rapid change in the countries of origin of migrants apprehended at the border, adding a new layer of difficulty for administration. .
Throughout, administration officials have stressed that the only viable long-term solution will come from congressional action, noting the stimulus with a bipartisan framework launched in the Senate last week.
But there are no clear signs the effort has gained momentum, and despite a legal process that remains up in the air, officials are highly prepared as they watch for ominous signs of what may happen next.
Already, over the weekend, more than 2,400 migrants crossed into the United States each day at just one section of the border, according to a senior Border Patrol official, marking what he described as a "huge increase in illegal crossings" in the El Paso, Texas area.
Homeland Security officials have described the mood within the administration as concerned about a near-term influx.
Faced with the loss of Title 42 and amid concerns of a surge, officials have weighed what immigrant advocates have described as a draconian approach in creating obstacles for immigrants seeking asylum in the United States.
The asylum proposal was included in a memo sent by the Department of Homeland Security to the White House, a source told CNN.
Thousands of migrants crowd after extension of Title 42 5:12
White House officials have also been in daily discussions with Department of Homeland Security officials about planning, sources told CNN.
The National Security Council, which has been heavily involved in managing migration amid mass movements across the Western Hemisphere, has also played a pivotal role, the sources said.
“The team has been working very hard to ensure that we are taking steps to manage the expiration of Title 42 and put in place an orderly and humane process.
And we believe that by doing so, we can protect our security concerns," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday.
If adopted, the asylum proposal would be reminiscent of a policy implemented during the Trump administration that severely limited the ability of migrants to apply for asylum in the US if they resided in or traveled through other countries before arriving on US soil.
No decision has been made on the proposal.
Administration officials have also put other plans in place in anticipation of a surge of immigrants when Trump-era Covid-19 restrictions are lifted this month following a court order blocking the use of Title 42. The legal fight It intensified this week when 19 Republican-led states asked a federal appeals court to rule on their request to stay the policy's termination by Friday, according to a court filing.
Since March 2020, when the authority was invoked, border officials have turned away migrants at the US-Mexico border more than two million times.
The Department of Homeland Security is preparing temporary facilities to process migrants, including in El Paso, and is exploring ways to return non-Mexican migrants to Mexico through existing legal mechanisms in addition to Title 42, according to two Homeland Security officials. They emphasized there have been hour-long daily meetings to plan for an influx of immigrants.
In a document outlining border security preparedness obtained by CNN, the Department of Homeland Security broke down its six-pillar plan, which was released in the spring and has since been updated.
This includes expanding ground and air transportation capabilities to transport migrants for processing and removal, relying on the CBP One mobile app to process asylum seekers, and increasing referrals for prosecutions of repeat border crossers, according to The document.
In it, the Department of Homeland Security also stressed the need for Congress to act to update outdated statutes and help create a working asylum system, as the current one is under enormous strain.
But with just days to go until the early end of Title 42, plans are still being worked out.
“The 21st (is going to) be a disaster.
There are so many things in the pipeline, but nothing is ready (to) go,” said one official, referring to Dec. 21 when Title 42 is scheduled to end.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas underscored the government's entire approach in a statement, noting that the mass movement of people around the world has posed an exceptionally difficult challenge.
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“Despite our efforts, our outdated immigration system is under strain;
That's true at the federal level, as well as for state, local, NGO, and community partners.
Absent congressional action to reform the immigration and asylum systems, a significant increase in migrant encounters will further strain our system,” he said.
“Addressing this challenge will require additional time and resources, and to do so we need the collaboration of Congress, state and local officials, NGOs, and communities,” he added.
Officials have already been dealing with thousands of migrants crossing the border daily and expect those numbers to rise in the coming days and weeks, overwhelming already depleted resources.
CNN previously reported that the Department of Homeland Security is preparing for multiple scenarios, including projections of between 9,000 and 14,000 migrants per day, more than double the current number of people crossing.
Over the weekend, US border authorities apprehended more than 16,000 people, Border Patrol chief Raúl Ortiz said on Twitter.
Among the cities experiencing an influx of immigrants is El Paso, which has previously dealt with a surge of immigrants.
El Paso city officials said Tuesday they are monitoring the situation and are in ongoing discussions with federal, state and local partners.
Mayorkas also visited El Paso Tuesday, where he met with Customs and Border Protection personnel and local officials.
The Biden administration is also asking Congress for more than $3 billion as it prepares to end Title 42, according to a source familiar with the request.
The request is intended to bolster resources for technology and border management and is part of broader funding discussions.
It's not specific to the end of Title 42, the source said.
“If Republicans in Congress are serious about border security, they would make sure the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security have the resources they need to secure our border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system.” White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said in a statement.
Other border cities are also bracing for an influx of arrivals, including Laredo, Texas.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas told CNN that he is in close contact with the city of Laredo about the preparations, adding that the city could transport the migrants to other places as they have done in the past if organizations without for-profits cannot handle the influx of arrivals.
“Title 42 is critical to managing the current immigration crisis at our southern border.
Without Title 42, the United States risks compromising its national security in South Texas," Cuellar said in a statement.
"I am joined by Senators John Cornyn, Senator Joe Manchin and Representative Tony Gonzales as a bipartisan delegation that recognizes the dire repercussions of what is to come without Title 42."
Title 42
