The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a statement this Friday, April 1, announcing that as of May 23, Title 42, the tool with which mass expulsions were taking place, will be repealed on the southern border between the US and Mexico. The measure was implemented in March 2020 by the Executive of Donald Trump.
On May 23, during spring in the northern hemisphere, a season commonly favorable for border migration, the United States will repeal Title 42, a mechanism that has been used since 2020 to massively expel more than 1.7 million migrants on its border with Mexico.
This was confirmed on April 1 by the authorities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a statement arguing that the arrival of migrants in the United States no longer compromises the resulting health emergency. of Covid-19.
“After considering current public health conditions and increased availability of means to combat Covid-19, such as vaccines and treatments, the CDC has determined that the order that suspended the right of immigrants to enter the United States already not necessary,” the notice reads.
Title 42 began under the Administration of former President Donald Trump in March 2020, a few days after the World Health Organization (WHO) decreed the Covid-19 pandemic. However, after the arrival of Joe Biden to the White House in January 2021, the Democrat did not repeal this tool either. Until now.
The US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, highlighted through a statement that Title 42 is a resource to protect public health, not to discourage migration. In addition, he added that this mechanism was implemented by the CDC “to protect against the spread of a contagious disease”, such as Covid-19.
The Public Health Law of 1944 is the one that collects said title, according to which the immediate expulsion from the United States of any person who compromises the public health of the country is allowed.
Thus, using this extraordinary figure, the Customs and Border Protection Office has expelled more than 1.7 million migrants to date since its entry into force last March 2020.
This resource meant that the migrants were expelled immediately upon arrival in the United States and lacked the opportunity to request asylum, a right guaranteed by the 1980 Refugee Law.
At the beginning of the entry into force of Title 42, CDC officials criticized the refusal of border authorities to give asylum to migrants, however, pressure from then Vice President Mike Pence left them no room for action and they had to accept the order.
Now, the US authorities, who deny that migrants currently pose a problem for the country’s public health, will wait, however, until May 23 to consummate the end of the measure.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue to expel single adults and families found on the southwest border,” Mayorkas said.
The United States wants to avoid an avalanche at the border and have time to prepare border personnel and emergency teams to attend to all people seeking asylum in the country since the abolition of the title, which is why the announcement has been made with seven weeks in advance.
The DHS also announced that the inoculation of vials against Covid-19 will intensify in border areas during the coming months. According to official records, nearly 2,000 vaccinations are currently being administered daily at 11 points across the border crossing.
As of May 23, undocumented migrants who arrive at the US southern border will be investigated based on Title 8, which is the previous and common rule by which the US carries out deportations from its territory.
For the White House, migrants who do not have a “legal basis” to stay in the country “will be expelled despite the elimination of Title 42.
“To be clear, people who cross the border without legal authorization will be immediately placed in deportation proceedings and, if they cannot prove their stay in the United States, they will be quickly returned to their countries,” said Kate Bedingfield, the director of Communication from the White House at a press conference.
The most notable variation between Title 8 and 42 is that the former detains irregular migrants in US territory, in processing centers, while the solution to the case is decided. In that period of time, people can process their asylum application, an extreme not contemplated in Title 42.
While waiting for the repeal of the measure to be completed, the decision of the CDC has been applauded by migrant organizations, which had spent months protesting across the border demanding the end of a mechanism, according to them, abusive and controversial towards the protection of human rights.
However, criticism for the delay was also present. Efrén C. Olivares, deputy legal director of the Immigrant Justice Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said, according to the Associated Press, that “the continued use of this policy, even during the next two months, is indefensible and unjustified.”
“Rather than wait, we urge the Administration to stop using Title 42 immediately, and see through its commitment to rebuilding our asylum system in a way that is fair, humane, and treats people with dignity,” added the leader of the organization.
Criticism of Biden’s decision to maintain Title 42 after the start of his term also resonated strongly among migrant defense organizations, civil associations and some members of the most progressive wing of his party, for whom the application of said title would never it was justified for reasons of public health, only because of the ambition of the Trump Administration to put barriers to migration from Central American countries.
Since Biden’s arrival in the White House, the vast majority of migrant expulsions have been processed, more than 1.2 million. The most significant measure he took was to stop expulsions of unaccompanied minors.
For their part, more moderate Democrats lamented the decision, including Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who described the CDC’s decision as “terrifying.”
“Title 42 has been an essential tool to combat the spread of Covid-19 and control the influx of migrants at our southern border,” said Manchin, a staunch critic of Biden’s immigration policies.
Among the Republicans, the governor of the southern state of Texas, Greg Abbott, announced legal measures and other actions to “keep our communities safe by using any and all constitutional powers to protect” the territory.
A significant wave of migrants is expected in the coming weeks
Following the decision of the US health authorities, a strong wave of migrants is expected at the border in the spring and summer months. Border Patrol members already spoke of 200,000 migrant arrivals at the southwest border in March, when the announcement was not yet confirmed.
In the last week, DHS authorities confirmed that some 7,100 immigrants were arriving a day, a figure higher than that registered in February.
. @USBPChief Raul Ortiz says at Border Security Expo that they expect to reach 1 million migrant apprehensions at the southwest border in the next two to three days
— Stef Kight (@StefWKight) March 29, 2022
Border officials assume that a peak of 18,000 arrivals per day may be reached in the coming months and weeks.
For the time being, the Southwest Border Coordination Center has been created as an early response tool for any massive arrival of people.
On the ground, US workers are erecting tents to ensure minimum security and protection conditions for migrants.
In addition, civilian personnel were recruited to perform administrative tasks unrelated to border security.
A new wave of migrants in record numbers may pose a challenge for the Biden Administration in the face of its immediate management, but also against the backdrop of the mid-term elections, where its parliamentary majorities are at risk.
With EFE, AP and local media
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