If it's Thursday bracing at the border, pandemic error restrictions are set to expire just hours from now as chaos, confusion and tens of thousands of asylum seekers overwhelm the southern border in a major test of the Biden administration and the entire U.S. government.

Plus the local toll on communities at the border and beyond, as

officials from New York to Chicago, Florida, and Texas sound the alarm struggling to secure

enough shelters and support for a record-setting surge. And Trump Town Hall fallout, a Republican

senator says he won't back Mr. Trump for the presidential nomination after the former president repeats election lies, teases January 6th, pardons, and refuses to take sides in Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine. Welcome to meet the press now. I'm Kristen Welker. We begin with breaking news along our southern border, where in less than eight hours, the pandemic-era border restrictions known as

Title 42 will expire, leaving border officials without a key tool they've used nearly three

million times since 2020 to turn away migrants. The surge predicted by Border Patrol agents

when Title 42 expires is here. Agents saw a record setting 11,000 border apprehensions Tuesday and another 11,000 yesterday.

One official estimates roughly 65,000 migrants are gathered on the Mexico side of the border ahead of tonight's deadline.

Communities in the area say they are already overwhelmed as they brace for an even bigger influx.

The Biden administration sending in thousands of military troops to help border patrol agents

while rolling out new policies and procedures in an attempt to keep the situation under control.

Here's DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaking to reporters at the White House this afternoon as he

vows that the administration's existing enforcement authorities, what's known as Title 8,

will mean tougher consequences for some migrants.

The transition to Title 8 processing will be swift and immediate.

We have surged 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers, thousands of troops,

contractors, and over a thousand asylum officers and judges to see this through. We are clear-eyed

about the challenges we are likely to face in the days and weeks ahead, and we are ready to meet them. I want to be very clear.

Our borders are not open. People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain

will be promptly processed and removed. President Biden, meanwhile, has acknowledged the situation will be, quote, chaotic for some time,

while renewing calls for a gridlocked Congress to act.

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