The immigration crisis at the southern border could be about to get worse.
Starting Thursday, our federal government will not be able to enforce part of Title 42. That's the Trump-era rule that's used to immediately deport some migrants who pose a health risk. It's also one of the only policies backed by both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. However, a federal judge blocked part of the rule in September. Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington, DC said the government is not allowed to expel families with children who cross the border seeking asylum. Ira Mehlman, with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says it doesn't make any sense to block it.
“We have limited the number of people who can come into the United States, even trying to come in legally,” Mehlman said. “There’s no reason why we should permit illegal immigrants to come in during a time when we are wrestling with a deadly disease.”
He’s concerned many migrants will now try to cheat the system, just like they did before the pandemic.
“There were certainly many cases going back to 2018 and 2019 where people were showing up with children who were not their own. In some cases, they had been nieces and nephews, but there were also cases where there was no family relationship whatever,” Mehlman explained. “The kids were just used as a ticket into the United States.”
So, who's backing the judge’s ruling? Progressives who have voiced opposition to Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary. The administration has appealed the ruling.