A group of 11 Democratic and Republican senators has introduced legislation to block the Biden administration’s attempt to end the pandemic border policy that allows officials to turn away illegal migrants at the border.
Five Democrats and six Republicans, including several facing tough reelection bids in November, introduced the Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022 on Thursday, which would override the White House’s plan to end the pandemic policy known as Title 42 on May 23. Lawmakers in both parties have warned that ending Title 42 and ending the practice of immediately sending migrants back to Mexico will lead to a rush at the border.
The bill has support from vulnerable Democrats facing reelection, including Mark Kelly of Arizona and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, who could benefit from distancing themselves from President Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis, which has played a major role in making him unpopular.
“Arizona communities bear the brunt of the federal government’s failure at our border, so we’re stepping in and protecting border communities by ensuring the Administration works hand-in-hand with local leaders, law enforcement, and non-profits to put a comprehensive, workable plan in place before lifting Title 42,” said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, in a statement.
The bill would require a 60-day delay before Title 42 can end, starting once the national emergency ends. The DHS would also have to submit to Congress its plan to end it and how it would respond.
Sinema and Republican James Lankford of Oklahoma debuted the bill on the Senate floor on Thursday. The other Democrats supporting the bill are Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana.
Since March 2020, both the Trump and Biden administrations have kept Title 42 in place on the basis that the coronavirus pandemic would spread further if illegal immigrants were taken into custody or released into the United States. However, Biden has stopped returning children to Mexico.
The group plans to place it as an amendment in a $10 billion coronavirus relief funding bill.
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The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement earlier this week listing bullet points of how it was preparing to end Title 42, but lawmakers criticized it for lacking details and falling short. The DHS has warned that up to 18,000 people could be apprehended coming over the border illegally every day come May 23. At present, 7,000 people are being encountered daily — already high compared to the fewer than 3,000 seen most days over the past decade.
