With Title 42 to expire within hours, Mayorkas tries to assure Americans, 'Prepared for this moment'

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday, hours before Title 42 expires, again went on national TV to defend the Biden administration's plan to deal with the expected migrant surge, saying the U.S. border is not open and those who fail to follow the legal process will be "promptly removed."

"I want to be very clear, our borders are not open," Mayorkas said at a White House press briefing. "People who cross our borders unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed." 

Title 42 is a decades-old federal health rule activated by the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to keep migrants from entering the U.S. "in the interest of public health."

With migrants already lined up at the border awaiting the expiration of Title 42, Mayorkas also on Thursday acknowledged the challenge but argued the administration is ready.

"We expected to see large numbers of encounters initially," he said. "This places an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely. We prepared for this moment for almost two years, and our plan will deliver results. It will take time for those results to be fully realized, and it is essential that we all take this into account."