WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) co-introduced two pieces of legislation that would delay the end of Title 42 Authority and prevent a massive surge of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. These two bills build on efforts led by Senator Tillis to stop the dangerous and reckless decision to rescind the Title 42 Order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which permits the immediate expulsion of illegal immigrants who attempt to cross the southern border.
Specifically, Tillis co-introduced bipartisan legislation that would require all COVID-19 related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated. He also co-sponsored a bill to extend Title 42 authority until February 2025.
“The Biden Administration’s failed policies have caused illegal immigration to reach historic and unsustainable levels that have completely overwhelmed the brave men and women tasked with protecting our southern border,” said Senator Tillis. “Title 42 authority has been crucial for Border Patrol as they work to maintain the flow of illegal immigrants, and the decision by President Biden to rescind it will lead to a massive surge of illegal immigrants coming across our southern border. This dire humanitarian crisis cannot continue, and I am proud to co-introduce these bills that would stop this dangerous and reckless decision.”
Background:
This decision to rescind the Title 42 Order is being made amidst alarming reportsthat the Administration is preparing for a surge of 170,000 illegal immigrantswho will attempt to enter the United States if the Biden Administration rescinds Title 42. Other reports state that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates up to 60,000 illegal immigrants are already waiting at the border in anticipation of this policy being rescinded.
There are additional reports that DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) are preparing for up to 18,000 illegal immigrants to arrive each day at our southern border. This would mean over 500,000 illegal immigrants arriving per month at our border. One report even suggests that CBP could be planning to limit vetting of migrants in order to expedite processing.
This massive surge of illegal immigrants would be on top of a historic influx of illegal immigrants during the Biden Administration. Since President Biden took office, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered over 2.27 million illegal immigrants at the southern border. In February 2022 alone, CBP had 169,973 encounters compared to 101,099 in February 2021 – a 68% increase in encounters with illegal immigrants. And the February 2021 figures were already the highest since Fiscal Year 2006.
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