Grand Canyon Times

A recent poll conducted by Politico-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows most Americans differ with President Biden over the need for Title 42 border restrictions during COVID-19.

Established during the pandemic and associated with Trump, Title 42 allows U.S. immigration officials to return migrants to their home countries due to the need to protect the United States in a public health emergency. 

According to the poll, a majority of American adults oppose ending the use of Title 42 to prevent migrants from entering the U.S., which goes against the Biden Administration’s decision to lift such border restrictions. The poll showed that 55% of American adults want to see Title 42 remain in effect, while 45% support the administration's plan to lift it and remove the ability to limit those coming into the U.S.

The Biden Administration announced on April 1 that it was revoking Title 42 and called for an end date of May 23, CNN reports. Title 42 was first put in place by the Trump Administration in the spring of 2020. The purpose was to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by keeping immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to claim asylum.

Several Democratic senators, even those who have historically supported an open border, warned of the dangers of lifting Title 42 without a workable plan. Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema are among the Democratic leaders leaning toward a Republican point of view on this issue. They are among a bipartisan group of senators introducing a bill that ensures the administration has a comprehensive plan in place before halting Title 42.

“For too long, Arizonans have paid the price for Washington’s failure to plan ahead and secure the border,” Kelly said in a press release. “There is a crisis at the border, and there must be a detailed plan that can be implemented before Title 42 is lifted. Arizonans deserve a secure, orderly, and humane border response, and I will continue to hold the administration accountable for that.”

Judge Robert Summerhays, who presides over the U.S. District Court for Louisiana, issued an injunction recently that prevented the White House from lifting the border restriction. The White House said it would appeal. "The administration disagrees with the court’s ruling, and the Department of Justice has announced that it will appeal this decision," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal had a different opinion about what the White House response should be. “What it should do instead is send Judge Summerhays a bouquet," Jason Riley, a WSJ opinion columnist, wrote on May 24. 

This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that approximately 202,000 people were stopped at the southern border in April. That’s a 22-year high, and Border Patrol detention facilities are already operating at more than 200% capacity, the WSJ reported.

According to ABC News, the DHS is preparing for as many as 18,000 migrants per day at the southern border in the event that Title 42 is revoked.