White House clings to May 11 date to end Title 42 despite end of COVID-19 emergency
Anna Giaritelli
Video Embed
President Joe Biden‘s decision to sign a bill that will end the three-year national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic will not affect the May 11 conclusion of public health policy Title 42 at the U.S. border.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press briefing Thursday afternoon that Biden’s commitment to sign a Republican bill halting the continuation of the emergency state would bear no changes at the border.
SINEMA AND GONZALES TO VISIT ARIZONA BORDER AS CONGRESS STALLS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
“The bill that just passed would only lift the national emergency, which doesn’t impact Title 42 or COVID authorities like for testing or treatment,” Jean-Pierre said. “The national emergency lifting just a few weeks before the public health one will not impact our efforts to do so in an orderly way.”
Since March 2020, border officials have acted at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and barred migrants from seeking asylum at ports of entry and immediately turned back to Mexico more than a million people who illegally entered the country at the southern border.
Jean-Pierre touted the Department of Homeland Security’s recent actions barring immigrants from select countries from being released into the United States unless they apply for admission through its newly expanded humanitarian parole process.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The DHS has warned during previously anticipated endings to Title 42 that between 14,000 and 18,000 people could be apprehended illegally crossing the border per day. At present, Border Patrol agents apprehend nearly 4,000 people daily, down from 8,000 at certain points under Biden.
The DHS referred all questions to the White House.