Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) today urged U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas to utilize an “all hands on deck” approach at the Southern border amid fears that a surge of migrants will overwhelm community resources if Title 42 expulsions are allowed to expire at the end of the month as expected.
“Should Title 42 authority be removed, many observers – including the Texas Border Coalition – anticipate that many people who have attempted to cross the border and been excluded under Title 42 will try again. This would mean a large influx of migrants seeking asylum status,” Cameron County Judge and TBC Chairman Eddie Treviño, Jr., wrote in a letter to Mayorkas.
“Because the situation requires an “all hands on deck” approach, we urge you to deploy all available officers to the southwest border land ports of entry (with all the COVID protections necessary), including management personnel, trainees, asylum officers, volunteers, and processing personnel. Such an operation must include sufficient coordination with and funding for humanitarian organizations to prevent the release of migrants into border communities not equipped to handle such an influx,” Treviño said.
Following is a copy of the TBC letter in its entirety:
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
MS 0525, 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20528-0525
Dear Secretary Mayorkas:
As you know, the current Title 42 authority for excluding migrants seeking asylum could expire in April, depending on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reassessment of the current authorization.
Should Title 42 authority be removed, many observers – including the Texas Border Coalition – anticipate that many people who have attempted to cross the border and been excluded under Title 42 will try again. This would mean a large influx of migrants seeking asylum status.
We appreciate the Biden Administration’s action to prepare for such influx by forming the Southwest Border Coordination Center (SBCC) to execute an interagency response.
TBC is also grateful for the Department of Homeland Security’s swift action on our recommendation for the proposed rule “Procedures for Credible Fear Screening and Consideration of Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT Protection Claims by Asylum Officers” to shift asylum decisions from being made by immigration judges in courtrooms to being made by asylum officers trained to decide protection claims.
We urge you to implement this new procedure prior to any action on Title 42 to assure humanitarian protection for eligible applicants for asylum and increased security at America’s borders. Absent the implementation of the rule, neither of these goals are likely to be achieved.
Because the situation requires an “all hands on deck” approach, we urge you to deploy all available officers to the southwest border land ports of entry (with all the COVID protections necessary), including management personnel, trainees, asylum officers, volunteers, and processing personnel. Such an operation must include sufficient coordination with and funding for humanitarian organizations to prevent the release of migrants into border communities not equipped to handle such an influx.
As you know, TBC acts as the collective voice of border communities on issues that affect Texas- Mexico border region’s quality of life, commerce, and public policy. TBC is comprised of mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders. Collectively, we represent more than 2.5 million people who reside along the more than 1,250 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, from Brownsville to El Paso, Texas. We believe in the economic vibrancy of our border region and its potential to re-vitalize is dependent on cross-border travelers.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important request. We look forward to a positive response on this matter.
Sincerely,
Eddie Treviño, Jr.
Chairman, Texas Border Coalition
County Judge, Cameron County, Texas
CC: The Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The Honorable Esteban Moctezuma, Ambassador, Embassy of Mexico in the United States
Office of Public Engagement, The White House
The Honorable John Cornyn, U.S. Senator
The Honorable Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator
The Honorable Greg Abbott, Texas Governor
The Honorable Raul Ruiz, Chairman, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and CHC Members
Karinda Washington, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Partnership and Engagement, DHS
Charles L. Wollenhaupt, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Private Sector Office, DHS
Felicia Escobar Carrillo, Chief of Staff, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, DHS
Victor De Leon, Chief, Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Commissioner, DHS
Texas Border Congressional Caucus
Texas Border Legislative Delegation
