Migrants rush to cross Rio Grande hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions end

Migrants rushed across the Rio Grand border hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions were to expire on Thursday 11 May, fearing that new policies would make it far more difficult to gain entry into the United States.

In a move to clear out overwhelmed holding facilities, Border Patrol agents were told to begin releasing some migrants with instructions to appear at an immigration office in the United States within 60 days.

The Biden administration has been unveiling measures to replace Title 42, which suspended rights to seek asylum since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of Covid-19.

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