Migrants at US-Mexico border await ruling on asylum limits
El Paso, The Gulf Observer: Migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico sought shelter from the cold early Wednesday as they waited for the Supreme Court to rule on whether and when restrictions that prevented many from seeking asylum in the U.S. would lift.
Pandemic-era limits on border crossings had been set to expire Wednesday — and the federal government opposed an effort by some conservative-leaning states to keep them in place. But hours before they were about to end, the Biden administration asked the court not to remove them before Christmas.
It’s not clear when the court’s decision will come. Meantime, thousands of people have gathered all along the Mexican side of the southern border, camping outside or packing into shelters, hoping for the opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S. The Texas National Guard took up positions in El Paso.
Jhorman Morey, a 38-year-old mechanic from Venezuela, warmed his hands by a campfire with a half-dozen other migrants on the southern side of the Rio Grande. He said he was waiting for a decision on the restrictions before attempting to cross into the U.S., though other migrants waded through shallow waters toward a gate in the border fence.
“I want them to decide” on the public health rule known as Title 42, said Morey, who arrived in the Mexican city of Juarez, across the border from El Paso, six weeks ago. He now rarely eats after exhausting his savings.
Hundreds of migrants remained in line in Juarez. Others slept along the concrete embankments of the Rio Grande. A nearby shelter reached its capacity Tuesday night, stranding many outside.
As crowds gathered on the banks of Rio Grande, 1st Sgt. Suzanne Ringle said one woman went into labor and was assisted by Border Patrol agents. She added many children were among the crowd.
Under the restrictions, officials have expelled asylum-seekers inside the United States 2.5 million times, and turned away most people who requested asylum at the border, on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19 under Title 42.
