President Biden to Extend Title 42 as Migrants Cross Border in Record Numbers

Title-42 allows customs and border protection to quickly expel migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Biden administration will indefinitely extend a Trump-era border policy invoked at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Title-42 allows customs and border protection to quickly expel migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, in order to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Hundreds of thousands of migrants, including asylum seekers, have been turned away at the U.S. southern border as a result. Immigrant advocates, attorneys and health experts argue the policy has no health basis and puts migrants in harm’s way. Yesterday, officials with the the CDC said “Introduction of non-citizens, regardless of their country of origin, creates a serious danger of the introduction of covid-19 into the united states….and a temporary suspension is necessary to protect the public health.” Customs and Border Protection reportedly apprehended more than 176,000 migrants from July 1st through the 28th, marking the highest number of arrests in July since at least the year 2000.