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Epidemics

CDC to End Title 42 Order, Resuming Normal Asylum Proceedings at US-Mexico Border

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it will phase out Title 42, a public health order that allowed for the expulsion of over 1.7 million migrants from the southern US border, citing lower COVID-19 transmission rates and increased vaccination rates among Customs and Border Protection personnel. The order, initially issued in March 2020, will be lifted by May 23. This move has sparked mixed reactions, with advocates celebrating the restoration of asylum processing while Republicans and some Democrats worry about an expected increase in unauthorized crossings.

Key Takeaways:

  • The CDC cited lower community transmission rates, increased vaccination rates among Customs and Border Protection personnel, and available protective measures as reasons for ending the Title 42 order.
  • The order will be lifted by May 23, allowing for the resumption of normal asylum proceedings.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has established a "Southwest Border Coordination Center" to prepare for potential increases in border crossings, with plans to expand holding facilities, provide bus and air transport, and offer coronavirus vaccines to migrants.
  • Approximately 400 CBP officers from the northern and coastal borders have been reassigned to the southwest border to help manage the flow of migrants.
  • The CDC initially issued the order in March 2020 under the Trump administration to expel migrants to Mexico or their home countries, ostensibly to stanch the virus's spread.
  • The order has been kept in place by the Biden administration, despite criticism from Democrats in Congress and the courts, to expel new arrivals as border crossings surged.
  • A federal appeals court in the District unanimously ruled in March that the Biden administration could not expel migrant families to nations where they might face persecution or torture, signaling that Title 42 would soon end.

Statistics:

  • 1.7 million: The number of migrants expelled from the United States under the Title 42 order.
  • 1 million: The number of apprehensions made by CBP along the southwest border during the first six months of the 2022 fiscal year.
  • 18,000: The number of migrants per day that federal officials are planning to prepare for, almost triple the current numbers.
  • 400: The number of CBP officers reassigned from the northern and coastal borders to the southwest border to help manage the flow of migrants.
  • March 2020: The month the CDC initially issued the Title 42 order under the Trump administration.
  • April 2023: The month when the order expelling migrant families to nations where they might face persecution or torture is expected to take effect.
  • May 23, 2023: The date by which the Title 42 order will be lifted, allowing for the resumption of normal asylum proceedings.

Sources:

  • The Washington Post
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post

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