Monumental Migration, that's how many border patrol agents classify the event that is expected as soon as the Title 42 pandemic policy ends, just a few days before Christmas.
In other words, there will be no one to stop the more than 1 million migrants who were expelled and crossed the border between the United States and Mexico.
Under Title 42, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prohibits the entry of certain individuals who "potentially pose a risk to public health (COVID-19).".
After the Biden administration announced it would withdraw the Title 42 policy, a debate erupted over whether ending its enforcement is justified and whether officials are prepared to handle the influx of people who will enter the already dysfunctional immigration system.
The Border Patrol could face investigating nearly 18,000 arrests per day after this policy is withdrawn, while currently handling approximately 6,000 detainees daily amid this crisis. For context, a DHS secretary during the Obama administration stated that 1,000 arrests per day constituted a "crisis.".
The 6,000 daily arrests since President Biden took office have already put agents in a bind, especially since the Biden administration decided not to detain immigrants in federal facilities until they appear in court, resulting in more than 1.5 million people being released in the U.S. instead of being detained.
Backlogged immigration courts mean that someone released today may not be in court until 2028, while living in the U.S. on "parole," a new legal status created by the Biden administration.
The entry of migrants can be classified as free entry starting December 21, since there will not be enough agents to control the entry of illegal immigrants across the border, which will lead the Customs and Border Protection Office to release virtually all of them.
It will be the perfect opportunity for smugglers, who earn between $5,000 and $50,000 per person, to move people with criminal records and drugs across the border in an unguarded area, since approximately half of all agents have been withdrawn from the field to transport, process, and care for detainees.
What some migrants are hoping for is to maintain a glimmer of hope of entering the United States after months or even years of waiting in camps and makeshift shelters in Mexico. Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents are concerned about the unprecedented surge of migrants expected at the border after December 21st.