Mayorkas continues tour in Brownsville amid border scramble

WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is headed to Brownsville, Texas, Friday where he will continue his tour of the border, meeting with law enforcement agencies to review contingency plans ahead of the expiration of Title 42.

He is also expected to speak at a press conference there on the situation at the border later in the day.

Mayorkas visited McAllen, Texas, Thursday where he rode along with Border Patrol agents and encountered migrants with makeshift ladders to climb the wall. He also visited the processing center and saw where migrants were being held.

The end of the pandemic-era policy in just six days has created a scramble to prepare for a massive migrant surge at the southern border.

The policy change is expected to embolden more migrants to come to the U.S. as they will no longer be immediately expelled after crossing illegally.

Agents on the ground there said they believe the surge has already begun.

Brownsville has already declared a state of emergency this week amid the migrant influx, and El Paso announced a disaster declaration this week due to what leaders say are unsustainable numbers.

In McAllen, agents have had more than 2,000 migrant encounters daily over the past two weeks. They said they are already in a “major influx.”

That sector described itself as the “forefront of the migrant surge,” saying they have all the paper cuts.

Officials there said the biggest influence now is migrants coming over from Venezuela.

A CBP agent testified to Congress that border crossing could reach 10,000 a day post-Title 42, meaning numbers could nearly double.

President Joe Biden announced he is sending 1,500 U.S. troops to the border on a 90-day deployment to assist with administrative work.

However, agents said the deployment won’t do anything substantial as the troops aren’t able to actually process or remove anyone. Border Patrol agents will still be processing and not in the field patrolling the border.

But even some Democrats, like Arizona U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego — who is running for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s seat — are saying that border towns are overwhelmed and need assistance, urging the federal government to send more resources to prepare for the end of Title 42.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has slammed the White House, saying it has handled the border irresponsibly. He said asylum seekers have strained his city’s resources.

The New York City mayor put some of the blame on Republicans for not helping to solve the problem.

House Republicans are expected to vote next week on their immigration plan.

Devan Markham contributed to this report.