>>> THE POLICY KNOWN AS TITLE 42 OFFICIALLY ENDS THIS WEEK.

PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER ALLOWS AUTHORITIES TO QUICKLY EXPEL MIGRANTS AT U.S.

BORDERS IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.

UNDER THE POLICY , MORE THAN 2.8 MILLION MIGRANTS WERE EXPELLED , ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION'S DATA.

BUT THE POLICY HAS CREATED MORE CONFUSION AND MISINFORMATION AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE U.S.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE , MEDIA RELATIONS SPECIALIST AT YOUNG CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.

AND DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS .

I WANT TO WELCOME BOTH.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU, ELENA.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THE SITUATION AT THE BORDER HAS ALREADY BEEN CALLED CHAOTIC FOR SOME TIME NOW.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE END OF TITLE 42?

>> I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE QUITE CHALLENGING FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE HE REALLY HAS TO DEAL WITH THE BACKLOG OF 2 1/2 YEARS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO COME TO THE U.S. TO SEEK PROTECTION.

THOSE ARE THE EXPECTATIONS.

AND THAT HAS ALSO DRIVEN MORE PEOPLE TO THE BORDER.

IT IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT CONFRONTED BEFORE.

>> ANNABELLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE EFFECT WILL BE ON FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AFTER THE TITLE 42 ENDS?

>> FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME ON.

I THINK THE EFFECT ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT WERE GOING TO SEE IS GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR, IF NOT WORSE THAN WHAT WE SAW UNDER TITLE 42 WITH THIS NEW ASYLUM BEEN TAKING EFFECT.

REALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IT IS GOING TO BE DEVASTATING.

A LOT OF FAMILIES AND PARENTS ARE GOING TO BE FORCED INTO SITUATIONS WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SEPARATE OR CHOOSE TO SEPARATE FROM THEIR CHILDREN SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN CAN HAVE A SHOT AT SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE AT THE BORDER.

WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE IS A DEFECTIVE FAMILY SEPARATION AS A RESULT OF THIS REALLY CRUEL AND INHUMANE POLICY.

>> IT IS HARD TO SEE THOSE IMAGES AGAIN.

IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE SEEN THOSE IMAGES.

BUT SEEING THEM AGAIN TELLS US THE EFFECT THAT THIS COULD HAVE.

ALAYNA, YOU SAY THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM OF MESSAGING FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS ?

>> I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD A LONG TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE CHANGES IT IS UNDERTAKEN.

THE POLICIES WERE ANNOUNCED VERY RECENTLY AND IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THOSE POLICIES ARE GOING TO BE PUT INTO PLACE.

GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE CPP FUNCTIONS WOULD MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE.

UNDERSTANDING THE PAROLE PROGRAM AND WHO CAN APPLY TO IT AND NOT WOULD BE GREAT.

THERE IS ANNOUNCEMENT OF A PERL PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN NATIONALITIES AS WELL.

THE POLICIES ARE NOT CLEAR.

PEOPLE AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER ARE STRUGGLING WITH MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO A MORE ROBUST COMMUNICATION EFFORT FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD REALLY MAKE A CHANGE.

THAT IS WHAT SHOULD HAVE STARTED MONTHS AHEAD.

>> SPEAKING OF , YOU ARE MENTIONING THE APP.

THE APP HAD A VERY BUMPY LAUNCH.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THIS WILL EVEN MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR ASYLUM-SEEKERS?

>> YES.

WHAT I WILL FIRST SAY IS THAT I DO AGREE IT IS A PROBLEM OF MESSAGING.

I WILL ALSO SAY I THINK IT IS A PROBLEM OF LACK OF POLITICAL WILL ON THE PART OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THERE ARE RESOURCES TO WELCOME ASYLUM-SEEKERS.

AS IT PERTAINS TO THE APP, IT IS PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO A PHONE AND WI-FI AND THAT CAN SECURE AN APPOINTMENT ON THOSE APPS, WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE DIFFICULT FOR FAMILY UNITS IN THE LANGUAGE THAT THE ASYLUM-SEEKERS SPEAKS.

THE APP IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN THREE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

THAT ALREADY MAKES IT DIFFICULT.

IF THE FAMILY IS ABLE TO SECURE ONE OF THE LIMITED APPOINTMENTS AND MAKE THEIR ASYLUM CASE, THEY ARE GOING TO DO SO UNDER EXPEDITED PROCESSES, WHICH REALLY SETS FAMILIES UP TO FAIL.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY GET A SHORT WINDOW TO MAKE THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS THAT DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE WAY THAT TRAUMA AFFECTS HOW SOMEONE CAN EFFECTIVELY MAKE A CASE.

CHILDREN AND NEEDING TIME TO MAKE A CASE.

>> IS THIS APP MEANT FOR ASYLUM-SEEKERS TO DO IT BEFORE THEY EVEN LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY?

>> I THINK THERE IS A PLAN FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE ASYLUM-SEEKERS TRY TO GET AN APP IF THEY ARE ALREADY AT THE BORDER.

BUT ALSO TO USE THAT APPLICATION IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY ALONG THEIR JOURNEY TO TRY TO SECURE THE APPOINTMENT.

AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE GLITCHY AND HAVE A LOT OF RACIAL COMPONENTS WERE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACES OF BLACK ASYLUM-SEEKERS.

>> PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE WE LOOK.

ALAYNA, HOW HAS MEXICO RESPONDED TO THIS CRISIS?

WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TWO GIVE ASYLUM TO MIGRANTS?

>> WELL, THEY HAVE THE SAME RESPONSIBILITY THE UNITED STATES HAS.

THEY ARE SIGNATORIES OF THE REFUGEE CONVENTION.

THEY ALSO HAVE THE DEFINITION OF WHO IS A REFUGEE.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LACKING RESOURCES.

ASYLUM OFFICES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING ON THE NORTHERN BORDER.

THE SECOND QUESTION IS WHETHER REALLY MEXICO CAN OFFER IT AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR INTEGRATION.

THAT IS WHY PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN MEXICO.

>> THAT IS THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL.

TO COME TO THE U.S. NOT TO STAY IN MEXICO, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> WHAT IS THE OBLIGATION THE U.S. HAS TO MAKE REFUGEES SAFE?

>> I THINK THE U.S.

UNDER ASYLUM LAW HAS AN OBLIGATION -- BOTH MORAL AND LEGAL -- TO ACCEPT ASYLUM-SEEKERS HOWEVER THEY TRAVEL TO THE U.S.

IT SHOULD NOT MATTER WHICH COUNTRIES THEY COME FROM.

IT SHOULD NOT MATTER HOW THEY GOT HERE.

AND IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T MATTER THE METHOD IN WHICH THEY ARRIVED AT THE BORDER.

ASYLUM LAW, WHICH HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR DECADES, GUARANTEES THAT RIGHT.

THE FACT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS PUTTING A BAND IN EFFECT FOLLOWING THE POLICIES OF ITS PREDECESSOR AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS REALLY ABORTED AND INHUMANE.

>> ELAINA, HOW MUCH OF IT IS A LOGISTICAL PROBLEM OF THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY NOT BEING ABLE TO SCALE UP?

>> I THINK IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO PUTTING IN PLACE NEW REGULATIONS AT THIS VERY MOMENT -- I THINK IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW DECISION.

>> ANNABELLE -- CHICAGO HAS DIFFICULTY TAKING IN AS MANY MIGRANTS TO THE CITY THAT HAVE ARRIVED THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THE COUNTRY ?

>> I THINK OFTENTIMES WHAT WE SEE IN THE NEWS ARE REALLY HARMFUL , ANTI-IMMIGRANT NARRATIVES .

A SURGE OF MIGRANTS COMING IN.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.

THEY DESERVE DIGNITY, HUMANITY, AND RESPECT.

CHICAGO, ONE OF THE MOST WELCOMING CITIES IN THE WORLD.

A CITY THAT I CALL HOME.

WE ALSO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO WELCOME ASYLUM-SEEKERS.

AND I AM SEEING THAT THROUGH VOLUNTEER LED EFFORTS ON THE GROUND.

IT REALLY IS UP TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT TO ASYLUM FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.

HAS THE WEALTHIEST NATION IN THE WORLD, THERE IS REALLY NO EXCUSE.

>> ALAYNA, CAN WE EXPECT EVEN