More than 150,000 migrants waiting in Mexican states bordering US: Report

WASHINGTON

More than 150,000 migrants were reportedly waiting in shelters and on streets of northern Mexican states bordering the US this past weekend.

A source familiar with the estimates told CNN on Monday that the figure includes 60,000 migrants in the state of Chihuahua, 35,000 in Tamaulipas and 25,000 in Coahuila.

The US estimates hundreds of thousands of migrants were in the "pipeline" in southern Mexico and Central American countries, said the source.

US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized Friday that federal officials are prepared as Title 42 is set to expire. He urged migrants not to travel to the border, reiterating that it is not open and will remain so after May 11 when the policy ends.

The expiration of Title 42 has raised concerns among officials that it could worsen the existing humanitarian crisis at the southern border by encouraging a surge of migrants attempting to cross into the US.

The Biden administration has been bracing for an expected surge in migrant arrivals at the southern border with coronavirus pandemic-era authorization expiring this week that allows for the swift removal of asylum seekers.

Since Title 42 was enacted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020, the policy has allowed the US to expel migrants nearly 2.7 million times from the southern border, according to government figures.