Crisis At The Border: Title 42 Aftermath

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Good morning!

Welcome to the first daily edition of the brand new Mo Newsletter. Starting today, you’ll get your news fix directly to your inbox Monday-Friday mornings.

We’ll break down the biggest stories, provide some analysis on what it all means, and of course, have a little fun!

We think it is the perfect complement to the daily Mo News Podcast and the @Mosheh Instagram account.

So grab your cup of coffee and enjoy,

Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney

🗞 UNCERTAINTY AS TITLE 42 EXPIRES

Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that allowed the U.S. to quickly expel undocumented immigrants who crossed the border, expired when the clock struck midnight on Friday. For the first time in three years, US officials could no longer use the pandemic as a reason to deport migrants. Title 42 was used more than 2.7 million times since March 2020. Republicans fought in court to keep the policy alive, but judges ruled that it needed to expire along with the end of the health emergency.

THE “TIDAL WAVE” THAT NEVER CAME
For weeks, Republicans and even some Democrats were hammering the Biden administration for not doing enough to prepare for the end of the policy. Officials expected a “tidal wave” of undocumented immigrants. Even President Biden warned of “chaos” to come.

But, it appeared to be the opposite this weekend. On Friday, Border Patrol agents arrested about 6,300 migrants. On Saturday, they saw 4,200 migrants. Those are significantly lower levels vs the numbers in the week leading up to Title 42’s end. Talk about a plot twist.

WHITE HOUSE TAKES EARLY VICTORY LAP
The Biden White House is chalking it up as a win. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claims his department is doing an “extraordinary” job on the migrant crisis - saying in an interview Sunday that the Border Patrol has seen a 50% drop in encounters at the southern border compared to previous numbers.

NOT SO FAST
Well, it depends on when you start counting. Last week was still a record-breaking week for undocumented immigration at the southern border. At least 10,000 people were apprehended per day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — the highest one-day totals ever recorded. Border agents arrested a record-breaking 67,759 undocumented migrants last week alone. And nearly 16,000 undocumented migrants evaded capture by Border Patrol entirely and escaped into the country.

IMPACT ACROSS AMERICA
In border towns, many residents say they don’t feel safe in their own homes because migrants are running through, or even hiding in, their backyards.

And the ripple effects of the crisis are being felt hundreds of miles away. Border state governors are bussing migrants to big cities across the country - like New York and Chicago - both of which have declared states of emergencies. NYC is shelling out $8 million per day to house the migrants, including in hotels near major tourist sites. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now bussing migrants out to the suburbs — as he pleads for more help.

In the last week, more than a dozen homeless veterans — including those in need of help after serving in Afghanistan — were evicted from New York hotels to make room for migrants. One couple reportedly had their wedding guests’ hotel reservations canceled to accommodate migrants.

TICK TOCK
One major concern is the time it will now take to process migrants. Under Title 42, one agent could process and send 40 migrants back to Mexico in about 5 minutes. Officials now have to use the decades-old Title 8 policy. It will now take an agent up to one hour to process just one migrant. The policy then requires the US to give all asylum-seekers hearings — what is typically a years-long process. The backlog of millions of asylum cases is only expected to grow.

🗞⏳ SPEED READ

🇺🇸 Ron DeSantis steps in and meets with Iowa voters as Trump cancels visit amid tornado threat (NBC)

🌏 Israel, Islamic Jihad reach cease-fire after days of violence which left dozens dead (CBS)

🌏 Russia launches fresh wave of attacks against Ukraine (WSJ)

🌏Turkey’s crucial election heads to runoff as President Erdogan survives first test (CNN)

🚨 Jordan Neely death: Daniel Penny supporters raise $1.8M towards Marine veteran's legal fund (FOX NEWS)

💸 Your Mother's Day brunch cost more this year - how inflation is driving the cost of breakfast foods (AXIOS)

💊 Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Small Trial (NYT)

🙏🏼 Buffalo honors supermarket mass shooting victims 1 year after massacre (FOX 8)

🎤 Dave Chapelle slams San Francisco during surprise comedy show: “What the f—k happened to this place?” (NEW YORK POST)

🤿 Florida man sets record for most days living underwater (ABC)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: MAY 15

1928: Mickey Mouse character makes debut in a test screening of the silent animated short “Plane Crazy.”

1940: The first McDonald’s fast food restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California. The restaurant was founded as ‘McDonald’s Famous Barbecue’ by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald. In 1948, they simplified their menu and shortened the name to McDonald’s, but intended to keep it’s growth limited. In 1961, Ray Kroc bought the company from the brothers for $2.7 million and transformed the restaurant chain into the one we know today.

This week in 1643: A four-year-old Louis XIV ascends to the throne of France as the boy king. His mother, Queen Anne, effectively ran the show in those first few years. Louis XIV would rule for more than 72 years.

This week in 1998: 25 years ago this week, the series finale of 'Seinfeld' aired on NBC. The iconic sitcom ends with Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer sentenced to spend a year in prison together, removed from society. It was the fourth most-watched TV series finale of all-time — with 76 million live viewers. (#1 Mash, #2 Cheers, #3 The Fugitive).

This week in 2003: We said goodbye to Dawson’s Creek — as that series finale aired. It might not have had the viewership of Seinfeld, but it had that iconic Paula Cole theme song.