The United States will repeal Title 42, a mechanism it has used since 2020 to massively expel more than 1.7 million migrants at its border with Mexico.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement on Friday, April 1, announcing that Title 42, the tool used to carry out mass expulsions at the U.S.-Mexico southern border, will be repealed on May 23. Implemented in March 2020 by the Trump administration, the measure allows U.S. authorities to expel asylum seekers without giving them the opportunity to present their case. Minors and some families are exempt.
The CDC authorities have officially announced the end of this measure in a statement indicating that the arrival of migrants to US territory no longer compromises the health emergency situation derived from Covid-19, due to the greater availability of means to combat the virus such as vaccines and treatments.
The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, emphasized in a statement that Title 42 is a resource to protect public health, not to discourage immigration. He added that this mechanism was implemented by the CDC "to protect against the spread of a contagious disease," such as COVID-19.
Starting May 23, undocumented migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border will be investigated under Title 8, the previous and common law under which the U.S. carries out deportations. According to the White House, migrants without a “legal basis” to remain in the country will be deported.
Following the decision by U.S. health authorities, a significant surge of migrants is expected at the border during the spring and summer months. Last week, DHS officials confirmed that approximately 7,100 migrants were arriving daily, a figure higher than that recorded in February. Border officials anticipate that arrivals could peak at 18,000 per day in the coming months and weeks. DHS Director Alejandro Maryokas stated on Friday that his agency had a strategy in place to "manage any potential increase in migrants.".
Information taken from: France 24 and BBC News.