There is already a lack of space in migrant centers and money for the border a few days after the feared avalanche due to the end of Title 42

By Julia Ainsley -

While the government of the president, Joe Biden, prepares for the increase in arrivals at the border with Mexico after the end of the restrictions due to COVID-19 known as Title 42 on May 11, the immigration authorities warn that there is a lack of budget and space to manage the expected record of asylum seekers.

As of Sunday, there were about 18,000 people in temporary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing centers along the southern border, two officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on condition of anonymity. about to reach its annual budget limit.

El Paso border.Herika Martinez / AFP via Getty Images file

A DHS spokesman said they will increase their financial resources to respond to the expected increase in arrivals, citing a plan by the secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, to expel migrants who do not meet the requirements for asylum more quickly.

But another DHS official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the department's current financial situation and lack of space in detention centers is creating "anxiety" within the agency that it cannot expel migrants as quickly as possible. necessary to avoid crowds at the southern border.

CBP Commissioner Troy Miller testified before Congress last week that he expects about 10,000 migrants to cross the border each day when Title 42 comes to an end, double the current number.

Two DHS officials told NBC News that the current system would reach its limits if the number exceeds 10,000, leaving Border Patrol and shelters unable to get all the undocumented into temporary custody.

[The heat, fatigue and a death begin to cause defections in the migrant caravan]

DHS has informed the White House that it needs more than $3 billion from Congress to increase its capacity to house, process and move immigrants, according to two sources familiar with the request.

Some of the necessary funding may come from other sources, but the sources reiterated that Congress still needs to pass a supplementary law to cover the deficit.

However, it seems unlikely that Congress will provide more money, since the Republican Party - which has the majority in the House of Representatives - has not wanted to finance anything related to Biden's border agenda, arguing that his Administration promotes a policy of open borders.

Title 42 has prevented migrants from crossing the US-Mexico border to claim asylum more than 2.5 million times since it went into effect at the start of the pandemic.

This will be the third time that the Government tries to lift this restriction.

Previous attempts have been blocked by courts, but this time no legal recourse against it seems likely.

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In El Paso (Texas), which is likely to become one of the epicenters of the increase in arrivals, local non-profit organizations that serve migrants estimate that a thousand are already sleeping on the street.

Local authorities say they need more federal funds to cover expenses like transportation, staff and shelters when even larger crowds arrive. 

“Right now, we are preparing for the worst case scenario.

I don't know if we in the community are ready for it,” acknowledged John Martin, deputy director of the El Paso Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

“Right now we are paying the bills.

We are rummaging in our own pocket, ”he assured.

[More than 18,000 migrants are deported from Texas in just one week]

Local El Paso officials say they are already owed money by the federal government for the current local response to border crossings.

In statements to the press on Monday, Deputy City Manager Mario D'Agostino said that the city is waiting to receive $25.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), of the $40.2 million requested for the fiscal year 2023. The city, he said, has already received 14.4 million in requested funds.

D'Agostino said he has been informed that up to 35,000 migrants are waiting on the other side of the border, in Ciudad Juárez, to cross into the United States, a number that is growing daily.

Authorities warn that coyotes are becoming more "daring."

This video proves it

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The El Paso shelters also claim the government owes them money.

Rescue Mission of El Paso estimates that FEMA owes it $300,000, according to its executive director, Blake Barrow.

On Wednesday, the Opportunity Center had about 150 migrants sleeping on the streets outside its shelter facility because it couldn't accommodate everyone who needed beds, Martin said.

“The volume of people is higher than it was in December,” Barrow said, referring to the last time the end of Title 42 was expected and migrants ended up sleeping on the streets despite the freezing cold.