By Canadian Press

‘Chaotic’ down south, concern up north as U.S. ends COVID border, immigration rules

May 11, 2023 | 9:44 AM

WASHINGTON — It’s a tale of two borders today as the U.S. braces for the end of its COVID-19 restrictions: chaos in the Rio Grande Valley and concern along the 49th parallel. 

President Joe Biden says it will be “chaotic for a while” at the U.S.-Mexico border once the public health measure known as Title 42 ends at midnight. 

Up north, lawmakers and border communities say they worry that cross-border tourism may never fully recover from the pandemic without more federal help. 

The U.S. is lifting its vaccination requirement for foreign travellers at the same time as Title 42, a Trump-era rule that allowed the immediate expulsion of asylum seekers. 

More than 150,000 would-be migrants are amassing along Mexico’s northern border, and the U.S. is sending thousands more border officials and troops to deal with the influx. 

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No such surge is expected at the Canada-U.S. border, however, which worries tourism operators and elected officials in communities that depend on robust cross-border traffic. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

The Canadian Press