The Biden administration confirmed Friday it will terminate the Title 42 public health order used by the White House to expel immigrants at the southern border.
The policy was initiated by the Trump administration to slow the spread of COVID-19 from crossing into the United States from Mexico. It was commonly used by the Biden administration to deport migrants trying to illegally enter the United States.
"After considering current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19 (such as highly effective vaccines and therapeutics), the CDC Director has determined that an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary," the Centers for Disease Control said in a statement.
"Title 42 has been nothing short of disastrous for immigrant families seeking asylum from the horrors in their own countries," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in March. "It is unacceptable that this policy continues to be used indiscriminately to remove migrants with valid refugee claims from our Southern border."
"We are increasing our capacity to process new arrivals, evaluate asylum requests, and quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection," explained DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Friday.
"We will increase personnel and resources as needed and have already redeployed more than 600 law enforcement officers to the border. We are referring smugglers and certain border crossers for criminal prosecution. Over the next two months, we are putting in place additional, appropriate COVID-19 protocols, including ramping up our vaccination program,” he added.
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