Title 42 is gone. What are the new rules for asylum seekers?

WAMU 88.5 | By June Leffler

Published May 17, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT

Immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S., who are stuck in a makeshift camp between border walls between the U.S. and Mexico, reach and look through the border wall as volunteers offer assistance on the other side in San Diego, California.

Title 42, a set of pandemic-era restrictions meant to keep migrants from crossing the U.S. border, r ecently expired. This prompted reporters to rush south to witness an assumed swarm of migrants crossing into the U.S.

In short, that did not happen.

In fact, border crossings dropped 50 percent since the policy expired, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Where are the migrants officials had expected?

President Joe Biden has set up new rules to offer both legal pathways to residency and punitive measures for those crossing the border. Legal challenges favoring more or less immigration will determine how long those rules stay in place.

How will migrants plan their journey to the U.S. under a new set of rules? We discuss this with the mayor of a border town, an immigration law expert, an immigration reporter, and a Colombian asylum seeker.