The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday unveiled its plan for securing the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of the Title 42 public health policy, Axios reports.
A federal court on Monday issued a temporary halt on the Biden administration's plans to end the order, which was issued under former President Donald Trump and allows border officials to turn away migrants seeking entry or asylum.
In a memo from Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, he warns that once Title 42 is lifted, "migration levels will increase, as smugglers will seek to take advantage of and profit from vulnerable migrants."
Therefore, the department will target and hinder "transnational criminal organizations and smugglers" and will introduce a "new intelligence unit to coordinate and strengthen the capability for early warning of migrant movements."
DHS will also allocate additional resources, such as personnel and transportation, to assist operations on the border. This will include more than 600 additional law enforcement personnel from various government agencies who will provide support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The memo also promises that the department will apply consequences to "unlawful entry, including removal, detention, and prosecution." This would include expedited removal and the detention of single adults "when appropriate," as well as making asylum adjudications more rapid "in order to more quickly process and remove from the U.S. those who do not qualify for relief."