The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Title 42 authority at the United States-Mexico border was blocked by Senate Democrats in their “Inflation Reduction Act.”
The CDC announced in April that the Biden administration would terminate Title 42 authority on the southern border by May 23. Border Patrol agents were previously authorized to swiftly return illegal immigrants to Mexico under this rule, which was created by former President Trump in March 2020.
In May, a Trump-appointed judge, Robert R. Summerhays, ordered Biden to maintain Title 42 while the case works its way through the courts. The Biden administration, on the other hand, has continued working towards overturning Title 42.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) submitted an amendment to the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed on Sunday, that would have required Biden to maintain Title 42 in order to assist lower record-breaking illegal immigration levels.
They voted with all other Senate Democrats to block the amendment, despite Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Jon Tester (D-MT) Joe Manchin (D-WV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ) Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV),and Chris Coons (D-DE) stating they opposed withdrawing Title 42.
For months, the Biden administration had prematurely begun shutting down Title 42.
Biden officials acknowledge that up to 500,000 border crossers and illegal immigrants — the equivalent of the population of Atlanta, Georgia — might arrive at the border every month without Title 42.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) speculated that without Title 42, the border would see 30,000 illicit immigrants and crossers every day. When Title 42 expires in April, up to 6,000 illegal immigrants in Tijuana, Mexico, will be waiting to rush the border.
The Biden administration’s proposal to terminate Title 42, which was leaked this past week, includes “broadscale release mechanisms” that convert the border into a simple check point for foreign nationals arriving on a daily basis.