Mayorkas: Border is ‘very challenging’ as asylum limits end

By REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says authorities face “extremely challenging” circumstances along the border with Mexico days before pandemic-related asylum restrictions end. A surge of Venezuelan migrants through South Texas has occurred over the last two weeks for reasons that Mayorkas says are unclear. Mayorkas said at a news conference Friday in Brownsville, Texas, that Mexico agreed this week to continue taking back Venezuelans and others who enter the U.S. illegally after asylum restrictions end Thursday. Migrants have been expelled from the U.S. more than 2.8 million times since March 2020 under what is known as Title 42 authority.