• Title 42 ended at 11:59 PM ET with eased public health border restrictions
• Thousands of people have flowed across the U.S.-Mexico border for days
• Dozens tried to escape capture in Yuma, Arizona, in the final hours of Thursday

Hours after the Biden administration claimed the new border immigration strategy would succeed, Yuma, Arizona, showed no sign of slowing immigration to the mainland.

As the clock ticked to the end of Title 42, a group of about 50 Peruvians raced past the edge of the towering border wall.

One person slowed down and trotted, shouting the question, “Where’s the Border Patrol?” Then they set off again, trying to escape into the night before a new shift arrived in this dusty corner of the American Southwest.

Border cities geared up this week for the end of pandemic-era “Title 42” regulations that allowed migrants to be sent directly to Mexico without applying for asylum.

It officially ended Thursday night, one minute before midnight Eastern time.

In fact, the surge started just days before the deadline. Officials said about 10,000 people were detained at the border each day this week.

Thousands crossed the border Rio Grande into Brownsville. In El Paso, they waded through muddy water and through coils of razor wire.

In Yuma, on Thursday night, Ruth, 53, raised her hands to the heavens in gratitude.

“Blessed God for making way for us,” she said as her 12-year-old son skipped along.

But after Title 42 ended, the Biden administration insisted it had a tough new policy to deter would-be immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas said in a statement issued just before 12:01 a.m., “People who do not enter the United States through available legal channels are subject to a minimum five-year re-entry ban and criminal prosecution. “We are facing tougher consequences, including the possibility.”

“Together with our federal government and partners in the Western Hemisphere, we are ready for this transition.”

However, this new policy soon fell through.

A Florida judge has ruled that the administration cannot effectively release unprocessed immigrants on parole to reduce pressure on detention facilities.

For officials in border towns and cities, that may not happen anytime soon.

With a few minutes left, another group of dozens of migrants, mostly from Senegal, came into view.

This time most of them were from Senegal, and this time Land Management Rangers pulled over to pick them up before they disappeared into the night.

With 28,000 migrants, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is already running out of space in detention facilities, according to the head of the Border Patrol Union.

In some areas, this means migrants are being released without proper procedures or court dates.

One hotspot is Yuma. Hundreds of migrants were seen lining up to be processed by CBP after they set foot on U.S. territory Thursday morning.

And just hours before Title 42 ended, the mayor called on Biden to declare a national emergency to direct more federal aid to border areas.

Mayor Douglas Nichols also announced that CBP would release 141 illegal immigrants to the streets on Friday, the first release in two years.

He said the emergency was not unexpected, but the administration had failed to prepare.

In a letter to Biden, Nicholls said, “We recognize that with so many immigrants falling victim to cartels, the cost of illegality is high. Cartels transport both drugs and humans across borders.” They are trafficking into the United States in a dangerous and often deadly manner.”

“These activities are a service to cartels and lead to exploitation, rape, abuse and neglect.”

Title 42 was invoked by the Trump administration to stop the spread of COVID-19. This is a public health measure that allows border officials to expel arrivals before they can apply for asylum.

But now that the pandemic is over, it will finally expire at midnight ET on Thursday.

The Biden administration rushed to implement new restrictions, effectively reinstating President Trump’s “transit curfew,” which allows the deportation of arrivals who did not seek asylum in the destination country.

Migrants can legally report to the border after pre-registering using the CBP One mobile app.

But the Biden administration is still desperate to deliver the message that the gates to America are not open.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas explained Thursday that the end of Title 42 means immigration will be processed under Title 8.

“What do you mean by this,” he said. “If anyone arrives at the southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and face harsher sanctions for illegal entry, including a minimum five-year re-entry ban and possible criminal prosecution. become.”

Do not listen to those who offer the way to the Promised Land, he added.

“Know this, smugglers only care about profit, not people,” he said.

Sheriff Yuma wasn’t impressed.

Sheriff Leon Wilmot told DailyMai.com that lack of preparation means President Joe Biden cannot enforce existing border laws, and in neighboring Cochise County, overwhelmed officials already have proper procedures and court dates. He said he was releasing people to the streets without any reason.

He is particularly furious with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, who claims the United States is stepping up its response.

“A good leader faced with a situation like this would set up the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provide emergency funding for ICE, and set up shelters in temporary buildings to ensure proper processing. would have dealt with all of this,” he said. He said.

“He didn’t do any of that, so he has no plans.

“His plan is clearly intentional to get everyone into this country and track millions of people for years to come.

“This administration is pushing the wrong narrative on the American people.”