The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday that Title 42, a restriction on immigration imposed by former President Donald Trump, ostensibly to prevent Covid-19 entering the US via the Mexican border, will expire in May. Homeland Security officials are anticipating as many as 18,000 migrants to try and enter the US every day after the restriction ends.
“After considering current public health conditions … the CDC Director has determined that an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary,” read a statement from the agency on Friday. “This termination will be implemented on May 23, 2022, to enable [the Department of Homeland Security] time to implement appropriate COVID-19 mitigation protocols … and prepare for resumption of regular migration,” it added.
Trump, via the CDC, implemented Title 42 as an emergency measure in March 2020, and while President Joe Biden immediately reversed many of his predecessor’s hardline immigration policies, Title 42 has remained in place, and roughly 1.7 million potential immigrants have been turned back at the US’ southern border under its authority.