WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Saturday that it would swiftly begin deporting Haitians who have gathered in the thousands at the southern border in the past week after illegally entering the United States as it struggled to manage an escalating crisis.
The migrants are overwhelming the South Texas town of Del Rio and adding even more strain to an immigration system already buckling under record migration, with hundreds of thousands crossing every month and many already waiting years for hearings.
Even as it faces searing criticism from human rights groups and opposition from some Democratic lawmakers, the administration is pushing forward with a strategy meant to relieve the overflow in Del Rio and deter more Haitians from trying to come to the United States.
“We have reiterated that our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey,” said Marsha Espinosa, assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security.
The Biden administration has three flights planned for Sunday, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss evolving plans, and starting Monday, it will run four flights a day. Most of the passengers will be single adults. Under the proposal, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, the administration will “accelerate the pace and increase the capacity” of removal flights to Haiti and other destinations in the next 72 hours.
The administration temporarily paused deportation flights to Haiti after the country was struck by a devastating earthquake in August. But the sudden surge in migrant crossings over the past week has prompted it to change course.
The chaotic situation, with thousands of Haitians crossing the Rio Grande each day to reach U.S. soil, has posed a new, urgent challenge for the Biden administration, which has been grappling for months with soaring numbers of migrants wanting to cross illegally.
Border crossings have reached their highest level in decades. More than 200,000 people were intercepted by the U.S. Border Patrol last month, bringing the total this fiscal year to more than 1.5 million.
President Joe Biden, who had pledged to adopt a more humanitarian approach to immigration than his predecessor, has been taking tough measures in a bid to stanch the influx. The administration said its plan for handling the volume of Haitians was consistent with policy.
“Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion,” Espinosa said.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times .