A policy that's prevented many refugees from seeking asylum in the U.S. will be lifted in just weeks. For Haitian refugee Francel Celestin, a husband and father, Title 42's removal can't come quickly enough.
"The migrants have expressed that while they believe that a first-come, first-serve, respecting the original list is in order, that there needs to be additional ways for people to enter who are subject to really extreme circumstances," Ramos said. Among other steps, Mayorkas said DHS is increasing its capacity to evaluate asylum requests and"quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection," increasing its personnel and resources, redeployed more than 600 law enforcement officers to the border, and are putting in place additional COVID-19 protocols.
While there are some exceptions, it allows border officers to return non-Mexican asylum seekers from Western Hemisphere countries to Mexico while their claims are processed.