| Tens of thousands of migrants head to the U.S. border |
| Mexico has let tens of thousands of people cross its territory on their way to the American border since early April, Mexican government data shows, a major uptick before the expiration of a U.S. immigration measure that has kept most migrants from being able to claim asylum in the U.S. |
| The increase comes as local aid groups and migrants say that over the last several weeks, people heading north have been crossing more easily into Mexico from Guatemala, the main route to the U.S., with the Mexican security forces abandoning some of their outposts on the country’s southern border. |
| The jump in the numbers of people allowed to cross Mexico, coupled with the reduced security footprint, has most likely contributed to the soaring numbers of migrants gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration is preparing to lift late today a pandemic-era restriction called Title 42 that has allowed the U.S. to quickly expel those trying to cross the border illegally. |
| Go deeper: Natalie Kitroeff, who covers Mexico for The Times, and Alejandro Cegarra, a photographer, traveled aboard a freight train to chronicle the journey by migrants seeking to cross the border. |
| Caution: Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, warned migrants against crossing illegally into the U.S. “Our border is not open,” he said, adding that those who enter illegally would now face tougher consequences, including expulsion from the country. |
