The surge of illegal immigrants has already begun at the U.S.-Mexico border, where agents in southern Texas apprehended 2,300 migrants on Friday morning.

Analysts had warned of a new surge next week when the Title 42 border expulsion power ends along with other pandemic emergency powers. But Homeland Security officials on Friday said they’re already seeing increased flows of people into southern Texas, and have been for a couple of weeks.

“I think that there is no question that this is going to be extremely challenging,” Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at the border, where he is on a two-day trip to review preparations.

Most of the new surge are Venezuelans, and Mr. Mayorkas said he couldn’t pinpoint why they came right now.

Venezuelans had been a success story in recent months after Mr. Mayorkas and President Biden announced a “parole” program to try to entice illegal immigrants to apply for a free pass before showing up at the border. Those that didn’t apply ahead of time are supposed to be quickly ousted back to Mexico.

A reporter on Friday challenged Mr. Mayorkas, saying they had encountered Venezuelans who’d swum the Rio Grande and entered illegally and who were already released onto the streets in southern Texas. The reporter said they were single adults, which means they shouldn’t have qualified for any family loophole or other exception.

Mr. Mayorkas insisted his process was working nonetheless.

And he said smugglers are spreading false narratives about the border, trying to entice people to pay to come.

“The border is not open, it has not been open, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11,” he said.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.