Five Democratic House lawmakers are urging President Biden to reinstate Trump-era immigration policies to address the ongoing crisis at the Southern border. These lawmakers, including Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Jared Golden, Mary Peltola, Vicente Gonzalez, and Don Davis, have called for the reimplementation of Title 42 and the Remain in Mexico program. Despite being Democrats, all five lawmakers voted in favor of a border security bill put forward by House Speaker Mike Johnson, which ultimately failed to pass due to lack of support.
The lawmakers’ plea for the reinstatement of these immigration policies comes at a time when the House passed a $95 billion spending bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and humanitarian aid in Gaza on the same day as the failed border security bill vote. In addition to aiding foreign countries, the Democratic lawmakers believe that bringing order to the Southern border is essential. They previously voted in favor of funding for Border Patrol to ramp up efforts to secure the border.
Specifically, the lawmakers are calling on President Biden to use executive authority to immediately reimplement Title 42 and are urging leaders in both the House and Senate to pass legislation to give Border Patrol back the expulsion authority that expired last year. The Remain in Mexico program, also known as Migrant Protection Protocols, required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US immigration hearings, while Title 42 allowed for swift deportation of migrants apprehended crossing the border.
Despite the push from Democratic lawmakers, Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, criticized the House of Representatives for approving foreign aid while neglecting to address the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border. Judd expressed disappointment in the House for prioritizing aid for foreign countries over securing the safety of the United States. The Border Patrol union head highlighted the need for policy changes and resources to help Border Patrol effectively secure the border.
Since Biden took office, over 7 million migrants have been encountered by US Customs and Border Protection agents along the Southern border, including nearly 1 million in the current fiscal year alone. The Biden administration phased out the Remain in Mexico program and Title 42 policy, which ended last summer when the public health emergency related to COVID-19 was declared over. The ongoing crisis at the Southern border has fueled calls for reinstating these policies to address the influx of migrants and bring order to the region.
