In an effort to curb migration, the United States on Thursday began flying migrant families deep into Mexico, which is far from the border.

A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that almost 200 Central American and Mexican family members were expelled deep into southern Mexico under a COVID-era expulsion policy at the border. The source said they were expected to be on regular flights, which include adult migrants.

Reuters reported that the U.S. would work with non-governmental organizations and shelters in Southern Mexico to ensure that migrants safely return to their country of origin.

The source noted that the expulsion flights would be a lot faster than "expedited removal," which is a fast-track deportation procedure.

President Joe Biden has left Trump-era policy, Title 42, in place amid 20-year highs in border arrests. The source said the use of Title 42 under Biden is new.

Last week, the Biden administration announced that it would subject migrant families to "expedited removal" from U.S. detention centers and be sent back to their home countries.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the groups challenging Title 42, said the policy denies migrants a legal right to claim asylum and returns them to dangerous situations in Mexico.

ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said the flights to southern Mexico could also inflict harm.

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CBP Records High Number of Migrant Apprehensions in July

12 News reported that filings in the federal court case revealed that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended at least 210,000 immigrants in July.

The data was included in a court filing made by David Shahoulian, assistant secretary for Border and Immigration Policy at the U.S. Department for Homeland Security. Shahoulian noted that the numbers were the highest since the fiscal year of 2000.

CBP noted that some migrants have tried to cross the border multiple times. But every time they try to cross, they were counted in the total numbers.

Apart from revealing the number of apprehensions, the court filing submitted by Shahoulian noted that sectors out of Texas saw more migrants trying to cross there than any other border areas.

On Thursday, CBP apprehended 85 migrants, including 35 children. The said migrants were reported to cross the border located outside of Yuma.

CDC Extends Title 42

The expulsion flights and July's high record of border apprehension came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended Title 42 that allows migrants to be expelled over COVID concerns.

In extending it, the CDC noted that the extension would be reviewed every 60 days to make sure that the policy is still necessary. The Title 42 policy would be in effect until the CDC director determines that the danger of further introduction of COVID-19 into the U.S. from migrants is no longer a danger to public health.

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This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Exploring How and Why so Many Migrants are Crossing the Southern Border - From PBS NewsHour