A controversial Trump-era policy that has allowed the US to expel migrants en masse is ending Thursday, radically altering US immigration policy at a moment that’s seen an increasingly large influx of migrants at the southern border.
The so-called Title 42 policy was first implemented by former President Donald Trump using emergency powers granted to the executive branch in the event of a public health emergency. Trump, and later President Joe Biden, claimed — on dubious grounds — that migrants needed to be turned away to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. Biden’s choice to continue the policy for more than two years, despite the pandemic waning, has led to lawsuits and the resignation of a senior administration official, and has become a political flashpoint on the left.
Keeping Title 42 in place solved a problem for the Biden administration: It summarily got rid of migrants that the US is not equipped to humanely process and absorb. The policy has allowed the US to expel migrants more than 2.8 million times since 2020, with many being expelled multiple times after reattempting to cross the border.
Biden warned reporters Tuesday that it’s “going to be chaotic for a while” on the border following the expiration of Title 42. The Biden administration has been planning for more than a year for the policy’s end, including by establishing new protocols for processing asylum seekers, creating new legal pathways to the US, and bulking up on resources at the border.
But critics have argued that the administration hasn’t gone far enough in preparing, and when asked whether the administration is prepared for the influx, Biden said “it remains to be seen.”
“We’re doing all we can,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know about the policy and what it means for migrants, the border, and the 2024 campaign.
What is Title 42, and why is it ending?
Title 42 is a previously little-known section of US health law that allows the US government…
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