Texas authorities on Wednesday dispatched a busload of migrants to Philadelphia for the first time in months as the state prepares for the end of Title 42 and the anticipated flow of migrants that will follow.
In November 2022, Texas dispatched its first bus to Philadelphia and has since sent over 12 more. Texas has not sent as many buses to the city as New York or Chicago.
At about 6 a.m. this morning, one bus carrying around 31 asylum seekers arrived in Philadelphia, for a total of 20 buses since November of last year, according to Fox News.
From 30th Street Station, 26 of them were taken to the city's reception center on E. Luzerne Street in North Philadelphia. According to a statement from the Philadelphia, everyone on board is from Venezuela.
The most recent bus to Philadelphia leaves on Thursday, just before Title 42 expires. The initiative, initially enacted under previous President Trump, permits border officials to refuse asylum applications from countries impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The constraints have been referred to as Title 42 since they are sanctioned by Title 42 of a public health legislation from 1944 that permits limit on migration in the interest of safeguarding the health of the public, per AP News.
There are concerns about what will happen to migration at the US-Mexico border now that Title 42 is no longer in effect. The Biden administration is geared up for an influx of migrants.
More US Troops To Be Deployed
Meanwhile, hundreds of US soldiers are scheduled to start a new mission along the southern border on Wednesday.
According to John Cornelio, a spokesman for US Northern Command, some 550 personnel, largely from the US Army, would assist US Customs and Border Protection by patrolling the border and providing data entry and warehousing assistance, CNN reported.
Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated Tuesday that the soldiers would not contact migrants or engage in law enforcement.
By the latter part of the month, Cornelio stated that another 950 men, mostly Marines and Army personnel, would arrive at the border.