Frustrated migrants stranded in Mexico say they'll keep waiting for border health policy to end

Dorbis and Jorge had looked forward to Wednesday for several weeks. Dec. 21 was when Title 42, a controversial public health order in place nearly three years to rapidly expel migrants and prevent them from seeking asylum, was supposed to end. But as they casually watched migrants cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso Wednesday, they decided not to follow suit. On Tuesday the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Title 42 to remain in place, albeit temporarily, after several Republican-led states including Texas sued the federal government. Whether the policy is finally lifted could be decided in the next week. But for migrants like Dorbis and Jorge, who asked that their last names not be used, the news about Title 42 was more of the same. “It’s frustrating,” said Dorbis, 45, who said he’s been trying to reach the United States since September after leaving Venezuela. “I am going to wait on everything and ask God that everything will turn out well and that [U.S. officials] will let us pass.”

Jorge, 33, said that they’ve waited more than three months to cross and another week or two won’t make a difference. But they’d need to figure out where to stay after scraping money together to rent a room Tuesday night. Neither one said they wanted to stay in the United States permanently. “I just want to work for a while and return,” said Jorge, who has a sister in New York who is a naturalized citizen. Meanwhile, hundreds of migrants continue to seek haven in the United States despite Title 42 remaining in place. Early Wednesday morning, migrants waded into the shallow water of the Rio Grande and climbed the concrete banks of the river to enter U.S. soil. The spot they chose to cross into El Paso was a few blocks from where thousands crossed last week. The Texas National Guard on Tuesday blocked that entry under orders from Gov. Greg Abbott as part of Operation Lone Star, a state-led border security effort that’s cost the state billions. More than 400 National Guards arrived in El Paso earlier this week, setting up temporary barriers with concertina wire on the banks of the river where the migrants were crossing.