GOP lawmakers warn of 'catastrophe' at southern border as migrant caravan travels to US

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Migrants take selfies at border as crisis accelerates

The crisis at the southern border is expected to get worse after Biden announced the end of Title 42.

Republican lawmakers who recently traveled to the southern border gave their reactions to the news that a Guatemalan migrant caravan is expected to reach the U.S. around the time that Title 42 ends.

A migrant caravan coming from Guatemala is expected to reach the border around May 23, the day Title 42 is set to expire, National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd told Fox News Digital. 

Title 42 is a public health order that has been used since March 2020 to quickly expel a majority of migrants at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW GUATEMALAN MIGRANT CARAVAN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT SOUTHERN BORDER IN MAY WHEN TITLE 42 ENDS

House Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Comer, R-Ky., who traveled to the southern border earlier this week with several of his GOP committee colleagues, warned that ending Title 42 would create a "catastrophe" at the border.

Rep. James Comer speaks during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on May 12, 2021, in Washington. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)

"It’s no surprise that a caravan plans to illegally enter the U.S. in May when President Biden ends Title 42 expulsions," Comer told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday statement. "President Biden’s open borders agenda has rolled out the welcome mat to illegal border crossers and has signaled to the world our immigration laws can be violated without consequence."

"In fact, we saw illegal migrants making a mockery of our immigration laws by taking selfies at the unfinished border wall in Yuma," he continued. "Ending Title 42 will turn the border crisis into a catastrophe. President Biden must keep Title 42 in place."

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Glenn Grothman warned in a Wednesday phone call with Fox News Digital that one of the "concerns" of ending Title 42 – which he pointed out only "legally affects Mexico and Central America" – "is that it tells the world we're not enforcing the border, regardless of the legal niceties."

Reps. John Katko and James Comer were part of a congressional delegation visiting the U.S.-Mexico border Mexico. (House Oversight Committee Republicans)

Grothman also said that "a lot of times" the amount of illegal immigration at the border has to do with the current "rumor is around the world" of getting into the U.S.

MIGRANTS SNAP SELFIES AT BORDER AFTER CROSSING INTO US

"For example, when President Trump got elected, less people were at the border only because they thought he was going to crack down," Grothman said. "Of course, he didn't crack down for about two years, but the rumor, because of what he said, was that now was not the time to go to the border."

"When Biden got elected, the rumor was now is the time to go to the border," Grothman continued. "So regardless of what he does on Title 42, it tells the world that he's not as serious as he should be about enforcing the border."

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., warned that by "officially ending Title 42, the Biden-Harris administration is unleashing one of the most abhorrent assaults on America's sovereignty and national security in modern history."

Rep. Byron Donalds speaks to Fox News at CPAC 2022. (Fox News Digital)

"This horrible decision is rolling out the welcome mat for millions of illegal immigrants to rush to our border, ultimately overpowering our already drained resources," Donalds continued. "Everyone from the cartels, human traffickers and drug smugglers are standing idly by, waiting for May 23 to reignite their efforts to surge the United States with illegal immigrants, drugs and convicted criminals."

Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs told Fox News Digital in a Thursday email that no one "is surprised about this formation."

"This caravan will be the first of many trekking to the U.S.-Mexico border now that the Biden administration has announced it is ending Title 42," Biggs continued. "The Biden administration’s haphazard decision will create a humanitarian and national security crisis never seen before in this country’s history."

Rep. Andy Biggs is warning of a dire border situation after a trip to Yuma, Arizona. (Rep. Andy Biggs)

"I call on the Biden administration to keep Title 42 in place. The brave men and women working on the front lines do not deserve the burdens about to be placed on them," he said. "Our American communities don’t deserve these anticipated burdens either."

Judd confirmed to Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the Guatemalan migrant caravan is headed to the southern border and would likely arrive by May 23.

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Judd noted that the caravan could break up into smaller ones like other caravans, but said it was a "crapshoot" when asked for the odds on the caravan staying together.