Officials in President Joe Biden’s White House are worried that an “open borders” narrative among migrants waiting in Mexico will set a new illegal immigration record as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ends the Title 42 border control.

This month, a federal judge struck down Title 42 — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) authority first imposed by former President Trump in 2020 to allow Border Patrol agents to quickly remove illegal aliens arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rather than appealing the judge’s decision, Biden’s DHS Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, asked the court for five weeks to wind down Title 42.

While Biden officials are still weighing what to do as Title 42’s end looms, Axios’s Stef Kight reports that they are concerned that an open borders narrative will reach migrants in Mexico, Central America, and South America and surge illegal immigration to a new record.

Axios reports:

U.S. officials anticipate the loss of the tool and the narrative that there are “open borders” will lead to a jump in the already-high number of border crossings. Preparations for this scenario have been underway. [Emphasis added]

Actions to expand legal pathways for migrants and asylum seekers and crack down on people who do not enter the U.S. at legal entry points were discussed in detail as recently as a Cabinet-head level meeting on Monday, according to the two sources familiar. [Emphasis added]

As Breitbart News recently reported, thousands of migrants are waiting in Mexico to rush the U.S. border when Title 42 ends in weeks. As part of the plan to deal with a record level of illegal immigration, El Paso, Texas, officials have asked Biden to open Fort Bliss as a migration intake center.

The Biden administration’s existing plan will use American taxpayer money to fund additional non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to more quickly release border crossers and illegal aliens into American communities away from the southern border.

Already, the Biden administration has been imposing an expansive Catch and Release policy that has seen an estimated 5.5 million encounters along the border and about 1.4 million border crossers and illegal aliens released into American communities since February 2021.

Daily, Biden is welcoming at least 6,200 border crossers and illegal aliens at the border.

Without Title 42, Biden officials have previously admitted that up to half a million border crossers and illegal aliens — the equivalent of the population of Atlanta, Georgia — could arrive at the border every month.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) told Breitbart News in April that he expects 30,000 border crossers and illegal aliens every day at the border without Title 42. In Tijuana, Mexico, alone, Breitbart News exclusively reported months ago that up to 6,000 foreign nationals were waiting to rush the border when Title 42 ends.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.