Title 42 could be lifted soon; some fear migrant surges at border

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX/KDBC) — The U.S. government and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are days away from deciding whether or not to renew Title 42.

Title 42 blocks migrants from seeking asylum due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biden administration issued a new rule that will allow asylum officers rather than immigration judge courts to make decisions on asylum cases.

An attorney with the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services is against the new rule.

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"It’s a violation of their due process and it’s just a way to expedite their removal of the people that are coming to seek asylum," said Marysol Castro, attorney for DMRS. "They already come from a situation that they are getting away from because they’ve been put in danger and their own government is not protecting them."

El Paso Rep. Veronica Escobar said it's time to lift Title 42 at a press conference on Friday.

"We believe that there needs to be more in-country processing," said Escobar.

Escobar believes that the current administration needs to re-envision the way they process migrants to make it safer.

"We don’t have to use title 42, I believe it is a family inhumane policy, it does more harm than good," said Escobar.

"They already come from a situation that they are getting away from because they’ve been put in danger and they’re own government is not protecting them," said Castro.

Since Title 42 was launched two years ago under former President Donald Trump, more than 1.7 million migrants have been expelled.

Some lawmakers worry that the end of Title 42 could cause major migrant surges at the border and to put a plan in place before Title 42 is lifted.