Ciudad Juarez: Several hundred migrants in US custody gathered outside the bollard fencing on the US-Mexico border late on Thursday night as the deadline for Title 42 to expire neared, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

The migrant groups were separated between families and single men.

About a dozen US Border Patrol and military personnel watched over the migrants as they waited to be transported out of the area to be processed.

A small group of migrants were standing outside the barbed wire fence along the border but were unable to cross.

One US soldier was seen telling two migrant men not to cross after they attempted to go through the barbed wire fence.

The Title 42 policy, first utilized under the Trump administration amid the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed the US to turn away migrants to prevent the spread of disease. Use of the policy is set to expire at midnight, leading thousands of migrants to the US’ southern border with the expectation of easier entry.

Earlier in the day, the US House of Representatives passed border security legislation in a 219-to-213 vote, which would resume construction of a US-Mexico border wall, expand crimes that disqualify individuals for asylum, and create an electronic verification system for employers to determine the eligibility of applicants.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said on Thursday that individuals who attempt to enter the US without utilizing the appropriate lawful avenues would face tougher consequences after the COVID-era Title 42 policy is lifted.

US President Joe Biden said earlier this week that the administration expects the situation near the border to be chaotic. The state of Texas and the Pentagon have both sent service members to the border to conduct support operations.

(With UNI inputs)