Biden admin is planning for a possible migrant surge before Trump takes office
The Biden administration is making contingency plans for a possible spike in immigration ahead of a Trump presidency, according to two U.S. officials.
The Biden administration is making contingency plans for a possible surge in border crossings ahead of a Trump presidency, as more would-be immigrants say they are concerned President-elect Donald Trump will shut down the border, according to two U.S. officials and exchanges between immigrants on WhatsApp groups.
On Monday afternoon, nearly 36 hours before Trump declared victory, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held a virtual meeting with his top advisers and the heads of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in which the participants raised concerns about what a possible Trump victory would do to border security.
The questions posed to the group were not unusual, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the call: 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?
The officials reiterated that the DHS has not yet seen a surge in migrants heading to the U.S. But the concern was raised: If Donald Trump were to be elected, they would predict an increase in migrants trying to enter the country at the last minute, and CBP and ICE needed to be prepared.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said "migrants should not believe the lies of smugglers."
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