GOP Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY), Tom Cotton (R-AK), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) plan to introduce a bill that will allow Border Patrol to continue utilizing Title 42, which allows expedited expulsions for illegal immigrants to avoid crowding in holding facilities during a pandemic.
Title 42 was first implemented in March 2020 by then-President Donald Trump's administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Since then President Joe Biden's administration made it so Title 42 would no longer apply to certain groups, like unaccompanied minors. As COVID-19 cases are on the decline, the Biden administration could be on the cusp of removing Title 42 entirely during the ongoing surge at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The GOP senators, calling it the "Securing the Homeland from International Entrants with Life-threatening Diseases Act," or SHIELD Act, said retaining Title 42 authority is needed more than ever as Border Patrol is overwhelmed by the large number of people illegally crossing into the U.S. and it would be another signal from the Biden administration that the southern border is open.
"Ending Title 42 is just another step in Joe Biden’s open border agenda. Title 42 is the last line of defense CBP has to address this historic border crisis. Biden has made it clear that he will do anything to allow illegal aliens to flood our country and appease the radical left, including putting the health and safety of Americans in jeopardy," said Blackburn.
"Title 42 has been an integral and extremely successful measure to protect America’s borders and our people during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Biden-Harris policy for open borders is intended to reverse the Trump Administration’s success in securing our border, encourage illegal immigration, and create an unprecedented crisis, it’s certainly working. As we come out of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we need to continue securing our borders, not throwing open flood gates to people who could carry the deadly virus or its dangerous new variants," said Cruz.
Javier Villalobos, the new mayor of McAllen, Texas, which is located right across from Mexico, previously told Townhall he is concerned on what will happen once Border Patrol is no longer allowed to use Title 42.
"We're spending some money; fortunately, this time not as much, on a federal issue. We have no business dealing with immigration, but we have to because they drop off the immigrants in downtown McAllen. So we have to assist logistically with some transportation; otherwise, where would they be? What would they do? To me, it's more of a public safety issue," Villalobos said.