Republicans and Democrats in Congress oppose the Biden administration’s idea to cease Trump’s policy of shunning migrants at the border.
The epidemic health policy, Title 42, is one President Biden promises to end on May 23.
Ever since March 2020, border officials have refused entry to the bulk of migrants seeking asylum at entry points or crossing illegally, as recommended by the CDC.
Amid public discontent with the administration’s mishandling of the border, centrist Democrats and those seeking re-election in November may have shifted away from Biden.
A Morning Consult/Politico poll conducted on April 6 found that 56% of respondents oppose repealing Title 42. Biden’s decision was his “least popular to date.”
Title 42’s end may be a political and national security problem for Democrats months before the election.
Officials expect up to 18,000 persons each day trying to enter the US in the six weeks following the expiration of Title 42, compared to the current several thousand.
Sens. Gary Peters, Chris Coons, Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema
On Monday, Gary Peters informed reporters on Capitol Hill that he was prepared to delay the repeal of Title 42.
On Sunday, Sen. Chris Coons asked the government to reconsider eliminating Title 42 since illnesses have resurfaced in some areas.
Due to the pandemic, the CDC stated they could no longer recommend expelling anyone who crosses the border. Infections are rising in his region, Coons told CBS News’s Face the Nation.
Sen. Mark Kelly is one of four Democrats who oppose repealing Title 42.
He backed the Border Patrol even before the Biden administration declared it would stop quickly deporting immigrants at the border.
They proposed a bill to compensate Border Patrol overtime last month. Sinema and Kelly were among the first to advocate for Title 42.
.@SecMayorkas .@JoeBiden Revoking Rule 42 is going to open the flood gates at our southern border. You know it & I know it. You are failing to provide the required protection of our sovereign territory. This is a dereliction of your duties & grounds 4 impeachment. @Unitedminingal pic.twitter.com/6p0AewhGvB
— UMA (@Unitedminingal) April 19, 2022
“Before lifting Title 42, we’ll ensure the president works side by side with community officials, police departments, and non-profits to put a thorough, workable plan in place,” said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Chair of the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Sub-committee on Border Management.
Sens. Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, and Rep. Henry Cuellar
Asserting the CDC’s recommendation to terminate the procedure was instantly condemned by centrist Sen. Joe Manchin.
“The CDC and the Biden administration’s decision today is frightening,” Manchin stated.
“Title 42 has been a vital tool in fighting COVID-19 and reducing the migration flow at our southern border. The administration’s decision to eliminate the Title 42 program would exacerbate this year’s record migrant surge.”
Today the White House continues to say people should mask on planes but that it's totally fine to lift Title 42, a health regulation, which will result in hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding the country.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 18, 2022
According to Manchin, Title 42 should stay in force “until we have a complete, bipartisan immigration system that commits to protecting our country and granting qualified immigrants a path to citizenship.”
Sen. Jon Tester expressed fear that the existing high number of illegal border crossers will increase if Title 42 is repealed.
Over the last 15 months, Rep. Henry Cuellar has been the most vocal Democrat criticizing Biden’s border policies. He and five other House Democrats introduced a bill that resembles the Senate’s Title 42 legislation.
On April 9, Cuellar told Fox News that Democrats would “be hammered severely” in November if they do not “stand up” now.
“Some of us are trying to stand up for the border,” Cuellar stated. “We all want immigration reform, but not chaos. We demand border security.”
