The Biden Administration partially pulled back a controversial Trump-Era border policy known as “Title 42” after a court ruling last week would’ve forced the administration to restart the expulsion of unaccompanied minors.
Title 42 is a public health order that stops migrants from seeking asylum during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) terminated the order for unaccompanied migrant children.
The Biden Administration had already exempted unaccompanied minors from being subjected to the order, however, Judge Mark Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled against it and gave the administration seven days to appeal or restart expulsions of unaccompanied minors.
The CDC stated, “In the current termination, CDC addresses the court’s concerns and has determined, after considering current public health conditions and recent developments, that expulsion of unaccompanied non-citizen children is not warranted to protect the public health.”
In a 21-page order justifying the decision, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky shared some measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amongst migrant children, including testing, physical distancing, and wearing masks.
Single adults and migrant families are still subjected to the order and can be turned down at the U.S. border. Recently, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that migrant families couldn’t be removed to places where they will be persecuted or tortured, though the ruling hasn’t taken effect yet.
The CDC’s decision challenges the public health order that’s been in place for nearly two years despite pushback from public health experts, immigrant advocates, and Democratic lawmakers.
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