CDC Extends Trump Rule Allowing U.S. to Expel Migrants Amid Pandemic
NEVER ENDS
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed an order Monday that extends the Trump-era Title 42 border policy that allows the U.S. to boot migrants at the border amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under the controversial policy, which activist groups like the ACLU have been fighting in court, many migrants have been expelled from the U.S. at the southern border without court hearings or the chance to seek asylum. In a statement, the CDC said the policy “shall remain in effect until the CDC Director determines that the danger of further introduction of COVID-19 into the United States from covered noncitizens has ceased to be a serious danger to the public health, and the Order is no longer necessary to protect the public health.” The policy will be reviewed by the CDC every 60 days, the agency added. On Monday, President Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the White House would look to the CDC for “guidance” on when the measure should be lifted. In a court filing, David Shahoulian, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security, said “record numbers” of migrants have been arriving at the U.S. border as of late, making social distancing difficult in border facilities, CNN reports.