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The administration temporarily paused deportation flights to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in August, which was followed by a powerful tropical storm after weeks of civil unrest. But the sudden surge in migrant crossings over the past week has prompted it to change course.

The chaotic situation, with thousands of Haitians crossing the Rio Grande each day to reach U.S. soil, has posed a new, urgent challenge for the Biden administration, which has been grappling for months with soaring numbers of unauthorized migrants at the border.

President Biden, who had pledged to enact a more humanitarian approach to immigration than his predecessor, has been taking tough measures in a bid to staunch the influx. But the administration said that its plan for handling the large volume of Haitians was consistent with its enforcement policy.

“Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion,” said Marsha Espinosa, assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security. “Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities and to the lives of migrants themselves and should not be attempted.”

More than 14,000 Haitians, many carrying mattresses, fruit, diapers and blankets, have crossed the ankle-deep river between Mexico and Del Rio and are camping out under a bridge, awaiting processing by the United States Border Patrol. Some are seeking work in the United States, and others are fleeing violence or racial discrimination in other countries.