Mayorkas Vows Tough Penalties for Illegal Border Crossings

The Biden administration on Friday warned migrants heading to the southern border that the expiration of Title 42, a federal policy limited illegal immigration into the United States, would not make it easier for them to enter.

“Do not believe the lies of smugglers,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security secretary, said just after Title 42 expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. “The border is not open.”

For more than three years, Title 42 had allowed the United States government to swiftly expel many people who crossed the border before they could apply for asylum. Federal border agents were set to return on Friday to the prepandemic rules for enforcing immigration law, known as Title 8.

People arriving at the border illegally will now be deemed ineligible for asylum and face “tougher consequences,” including a five-year ban on re-entry and potential criminal prosecution, Mr. Mayorkas said in the statement.

To enforce immigration laws, he added, 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers were already at the Southwestern border. He had said on Wednesday that more than 1,400 Homeland Security personnel, 1,000 processing coordinators and 1,500 Department of Defense personnel would be deployed there.

On Thursday, Mr. Mayorkas said at the White House that he expected a temporary increase in migration at the border.

“This places an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities, and our communities with whom we partner closely,” he said.

The Border Patrol chief, Raul Ortiz, told CBS on Thursday that “upwards of 60,000 migrants” were waiting near the border. “We’re focused on ensuring that we’re doing everything we can to allocate resources to address those flows,” he said.