SAN DIEGO — At the United States border with Mexico, neither age, race nor language defines the status of anyone awaiting asylum.
Title 42 was officially lifted Thursday night and created an influx of people flooding into the San Ysidro border crossing.
"I believe the multitude of people that are here is because of the desire to get to the U-S after that title," said Alejandra, a migrant from Columbia. "But here we are with God's blessing waiting for him to bring us out in victory.
She is a mother of two from Columbia and arrived at the border just before the end of Title 42. She's living at a camp until border patrol decides to take her in for processing.
Many are confused as Title 42 is lifted and people wait to be let in.
"In relation to the transition or change of Title 42 to Title 8, there is a serious lack of clarity of direction," said Adriana Jasso, a volunteer. "There is a disconnect with what Washington is putting out and with what we are seeing on the ground."
Volunteers were hoping by the end of Title 42 there would be some type of action.
Instead, migrants are still maneuvering through the trash and trying to keep warm in their plastic bag tents.
"It is a humanitarian crisis. There are families, people of all ages, people who have traveled from all around the world to be here who are waiting. They are hungry and not receiving the support that they need," said Omega Burckhardt, Assistant Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego.
That support comes in waves as border patrol shows up and takes a few people at a time.
ABC10 reporters witnessed agents taking about 30 people to an unknown destination Friday, those still waiting cheering as they were taken away.
"We're not going to harm anyone. What we want is the possibility of a good life. To fight for a good life," said Alejandra. "Because we're not going to just sleep and wait for someone to give us anything. We want to work. And our work to be valued."
Volunteers say they plan to be here until everyone is helped. Until then, they don't know if there's a set plan to process all the people trying to access asylum.
Border Patrol has said they just don't have the capacity to handle the hundreds of people outside the border at this time.
Migrants depend on the volunteers who are feeding them and aiding them with spiritual support.
Editor’s Note: Quotes from migrants have been translated from Spanish to English for this report.
What is Title 42?
The order authorized the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to immediately remove migrants, including people seeking asylum, seeking entry into the U.S. at the land borders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the order under the Trump administration in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. officials turned away migrants more than 2.8 million times under Title 42 since the policy began.
The order is ending because the Biden administration announced an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The lifting of the Title 42 order does not mean the border is open. According to the U.S. Homeland Security, the U.S. will return to using Title 8 immigration authorities "to expeditiously process and remove individuals who arrive at the U.S. border unlawfully." The law outlines processes for deportation and carries strict penalties, including five and 10-year bans on reentry for people deported.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Immigrant-focused nonprofits to see greater need for resources once Title 42 ends
