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Border patrol agents arrested record numbers of migrants illegally trying to cross into the US on Monday and Tuesday as the end of Title 42 looms, according to a report.

Over 10,300 migrants were apprehended Tuesday after they illegally attempted to enter the country, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported, citing Customs and Border Protection sources. Over 10,000 more were reportedly nabbed Monday.

Both mark the highest single-day totals in the agency’s recorded history, according to the report.

Over 28,000 people were in custody as of Wednesday, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN.

A spokesperson for the office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for confirmation.

Art Del Cueto, executive vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, called the state of the migrant crisis “beyond catastrophic” and “unsustainable,” according to News Nation’s Ali Bradley

The record-setting figures were revealed just one day before the end of Title 42, a federal policy that thwarted the influx of migrants illegally entering the country.

Title 42 is a pandemic-era measure that has allowed border patrol to swiftly eject migrants from certain countries without hearing their asylum claims, citing public health reasons. 

The federal policy was enacted under President Donald Trump and is among those being lifted by his successor.


  Border patrol agents arrested record numbers of migrants illegally trying to cross into the US on Monday and Tuesday. James Keivom Border patrol agents arrested record numbers of migrants illegally trying to cross into the US on Monday and Tuesday. James Keivom

  Over 10,300 migrants were apprehended Tuesday after they illegally attempted to enter the country. James Keivom Over 10,300 migrants were apprehended Tuesday after they illegally attempted to enter the country. James Keivom

  Over 28,000 people were in custody as of Wednesday, a Department of Homeland Security said. AP Over 28,000 people were in custody as of Wednesday, a Department of Homeland Security said. AP

According to data obtained by The Post, up to 16,000 migrants are waiting to cross into San Diego from Tijuana, while as many as 35,000 are waiting in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez to cross into El Paso.

Photos taken by The Post showed huge swarms of people lined up on the Mexican side of the border at El Paso, waiting to cross the Rio Grande river into the US on Tuesday.

Texas cities of Brownsville, El Paso and Laredo have already declared states of emergency.

Photos taken on the border between Brownsville and Matamoros in Mexico show a surge of hundreds of women, men and children traversing rough terrain in an attempt to slip into the country.


  The record-setting figures were revealed just one day before the end of Title 42. AFP via Getty Images The record-setting figures were revealed just one day before the end of Title 42. AFP via Getty Images

  The Texas National Guard has been deployed in greater numbers to help control the surge. AFP via Getty Images The Texas National Guard has been deployed in greater numbers to help control the surge. AFP via Getty Images

However, after Brownsville was overwhelmed with over 15,000 border crossers last week, the Texas National Guard has been deployed in greater numbers to help control the surge.

Meanwhile, El Paso officials have also revealed more some of their plans to handle the migrant surge expected to hit Texas’ sixth largest city on May 11.

“We are working on a mass casualty plan just because of the large group numbers,” Jorge Rodriguez of the Office of Emergency Management said.

“There’s always that potential and that’s what we plan for — is those worst case scenarios.”

The security plan calls for beefing up law enforcement in two parts of the desert city — downtown and a stretch of highway that runs directly on the border — Loop 375.

Those two areas are expected to see migrant surges after Title 42 ends. Downtown is home to three international bridges that connect the US and Mexico. Several times in recent weeks, migrants amassed in Juarez have stormed the bridges, prompting US authorities to shut them down.

What is Title 42 and what does its end mean for US border immigration?

What is Title 42?

Title 42 is a federal health measure enforced by the US Border Patrol. It allows the agency to kick certain migrants out of the US and return them to Mexico. This includes asylum seekers, who under international law have the legal right to make an asylum claim in America.

Currently, migrants who cross the border illegally and who are from Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua or Venezuela are subject to Title 42 and could be sent to Mexico.

How did Title 42 start?

President Donald Trump invoked the law in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue the policy. The Trump administration made the case that keeping migrants out of the country would slow down the spread of infections and maintain the safety of federal agents encountering migrants.

What has happened with Title 42 under Biden?

When President Biden took over, he continued to enforce Title 42 with one important change from his predecessor. Biden said Border Patrol agents were only allowed to expel migrants from certain countries under his direction. That meant migrants seeking asylum from countries like Cuba and Venezuela could still seek asylum if they arrived at the border and stay in the US while their cases were decided in court — unless they had a criminal record.

What is happening with Title 42 now?

Title 42 is supposed to be a health policy, not an immigration law. It will end at 11:59 p.m. May 11, when the Biden administration ends all COVID-19-related policies.

Why is it controversial?

Many have called for the policy’s end, saying it’s illegal and that international law guarantees people the right to seek asylum.

Others, like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, warn that the southern border could see up to 13,000 migrants per day crossing with the intention to stay in the country when the measure ends.

What would the end of Title 42 mean for immigration into the US?

It’s unclear exactly how many people have been expelled under Title 42 because there have been scores of people who have attempted to enter the country numerous times and been rejected again and again, but the US Border Patrol said it made an all-time high of more than 2.3 million arrests at the border in the last fiscal year. Forty percent of people who were expelled from the country were ejected under the rules of Title 42.

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The freeway along Loop 375 has also seen illegal immigrants running across six lanes of traffic, making their way into neighborhoods that are just on the other side, within a mile of the international boundary.

The city is also securing more hospital beds, in case chaos at the border turns violent, one city official said.

Local school districts have sent messaged to students, alerting them to added security to schools that are within a stone’s throws from the border.

Two shelters, run by the city and funded by federal tax dollars, will open in the coming days at vacant middle schools.

But two days before the end of Title 42, the head of the entire Border Patrol sounded resolute and defiant in El Paso.

“As all of America, and the pundits and the reporters run around saying that when we lose Title 42, the sky is going to fall, it ain’t going to fall,” said Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.

Images from Tuesday show migrants being turned away by members of the US National Guard after crossing the Rio Grande’s Rio Bravo river, with them stretching wire across posts to keep people out.


  Up to 16,000 migrants are waiting to cross into San Diego from Tijuana, while as many as 35,000 are waiting in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez to cross into El Paso. AP Up to 16,000 migrants are waiting to cross into San Diego from Tijuana, while as many as 35,000 are waiting in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez to cross into El Paso. AP

  Title 42 is a pandemic-era measure that has allowed border patrol to swiftly eject migrants from certain countries without hearing their asylum claims. AFP via Getty Images Title 42 is a pandemic-era measure that has allowed border patrol to swiftly eject migrants from certain countries without hearing their asylum claims. AFP via Getty Images

  Approximately 24,000 law enforcement officers have been stationed along the US-Mexico border, in addition to the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops and 2,500 National Guard members. AFP via Getty Images Approximately 24,000 law enforcement officers have been stationed along the US-Mexico border, in addition to the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops and 2,500 National Guard members. AFP via Getty Images

  Images from Tuesday show migrants being turned away by members of the US National Guard after crossing the Rio Grande’s Rio Bravo river. New York Post Images from Tuesday show migrants being turned away by members of the US National Guard after crossing the Rio Grande’s Rio Bravo river. New York Post

President Joe Biden’s administration has also said it plans to deny asylum to those who don’t take the necessary steps and apply for asylum from outside of the US before travelling to the border from Thursday when Title 42 ends.

The administration has also announced plans to establish 100 migration hubs throughout the Western Hemisphere, two of which will be located in Guatemala and Colombia.

Officials have warned they expect up to 13,000 migrants to attempt to enter the country each day after Titel 42’s end.

Approximately 24,000 law enforcement officers have been stationed along the US-Mexico border, in addition to the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops and 2,500 National Guard members.

With Post wires.

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