Unlawful border crossings reached the lowest monthly figure during the Biden administration in September, due in large part to the implementation of an executive order making it more difficult for migrants to seek asylum and remain in the country in June.
But now that Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential elections, his vows to close the border are stoking fear in the Department of Homeland Security which now prepares for a possible increase in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Monday, prior to Trump's victory announcement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held a virtual meeting with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in which the participants raised concerns about what a possible Trump victory would do to border security, as NBC News reports.
Participants of the meeting reviewed the department's capacity to handle a potential influx of migrants and posed a series of questions that might prove pivotal in the upcoming weeks:
"How was the Department of Homeland Security operationally prepared to deal with a potential spike in immigration? Was there enough bed space in ICE detention to hold immigrants before deporting them? Would the agencies be able to continue placing migrants who do not qualify for asylum on a rapid path toward removal, or would numbers overwhelm the system and force agents to release migrants into the U.S. with court dates set years into the future?"
DHS officials clarified that no surge had been observed at the time, but preparations were essential should migrant numbers rise before Trump's expected policy changes. Officials quoted by NBC News also cautioned migrants against relying on smuggler misinformation and encouraged them to pursue legal and secure pathways to enter the United States.
In Tijuana, Mexico, where migrants often await U.S. entry, shelter operator Gustavo Banda observed that uncertainty has grown among shelter residents. Banda expects smugglers to intensify efforts, urging migrants to cross the border before Trump's inauguration. He emphasized the need to calm migrants, stating that "for the moment, absolutely nothing changes."
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