U.S. border facilities strained by new arrivals- Mayorkas

STORY: The United States is already seeing high number of border encounters in certain areas, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Thursday ahead of a COVID-19 immigration restriction called Title 42's midnight expiration.

"Our borders are not open," Mayorkas told reporters at a White House briefing, warning of tougher consequences for those who try to cross the U.S. border illegally.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration this week rolled out a new asylum regulation that could deny asylum to most migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The measure will take effect immediately after Title 42 ends.