The US is sending 1,500 troops to bolster resources at its southern border ahead of an expected surge of migrants, the defence department said.
They will accompany 2,500 National Guard members already in place to support the work of border agents.
Title 42, a Trump-era policy that gives the government power to automatically expel undocumented migrants, is set to expire on 11 May.
Officials expect a sharp increase in migrants to follow.
Initially invoked in early 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Title 42 allowed the US government to quickly expel migrants trying to cross its border with Mexico – including asylum seekers – with the stated intent of preventing the coronavirus from spreading in the US.
The Biden administration has unveiled a plan that would make it harder for migrants to claim asylum by requiring adult asylum seekers to use an app to book a meeting with US officials or first claim asylum in another country before reaching the US.
The app, known as CBP One, was rolled out in January and will remain in place regardless of Title 42.
Failure to comply would make migrants ineligible if they subsequently reach the border and would allow for those undocumented migrants to be swiftly deported.The plan – and its expedited removal of some migrants, including asylum seekers – prompted criticism from human rights groups.
Last month, the White House also announced it would set up brick-and-mortar immigration processing centres in Latin America, another effort to reduce the number of undocumented migrants crossing into the US.
The centres, with locations starting in Colombia and Guatemala, will screen migrants and determine whether they qualify for entry to the US.
Source : BBC
