Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is privately voicing his concerns with the Biden adminstration's plan to end enforcement of Title 42 at the U.S.-Mexico border amid a continued surge of illegal crossings that are expected to get worse after May 23.
Axios reported Mayorkas told lawmakers in Congress over the past few week he is frustrated at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's rollout of the repeal and is concerned his own agency, DHS, will not be ready by May 23 to handle the expected influx:
"During a conversation with one senator a few weeks ago, Mayorkas communicated he was frustrated with the way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced its plans to end the program.
"In separate conversations with other members earlier this month, he conceded there are significant challenges with lifting Title 42.
"Mayorkas also acknowledged his own concerns about the expected surge in migrants, two other sources familiar with the talks said.
"In some instances, the secretary pointed members to the CDC, and said the public health agency is calling the shots. Members and their staff told Axios that, after Mayorkas walked them through the DHS' preparations for the potential border surge, they did not feel the administration had reached the level of preparedness needed to carry out the operation successfully by May 23."
The White House has stood firm in their timeline to end enforcing Title 42, which has allowed Border Patrol to quickly expel illegal immigrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19, despite growing objections from Democrats in Congress.
"Congress gave the CDC authority to make determinations about when it should be lifted. So right now we are planning and preparing for the end of Title 42 enforcement on May 23," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
When President Joe Biden was asked about delaying the end of the public health order on Thursday, Biden confusingly brought up the public transportation mask mandate the Department of Justice is trying to reinstate, which is not related to Title 42.
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