The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday kept the controversial border expulsion policy known as Title 42 in place until a lawsuit brought forth by several GOP-led states, including Texas, and the Biden administration is resolved.
The Trump administration implemented Title 42 in 2020 as an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, it said at the time. The policy allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants back into Mexico before they apply for asylum and has been used more than 2 million times since.
The decision comes as thousands of migrants have continued to seek entry into the United States, either by surrendering to Border Patrol or by evading detection. Local governments on the border say they have struggled with the influx of newcomers to their cities.
A timeline on a final resolution is unclear, but the latest action, the high court’s second in about a week, will certainly frustrate migrants who have been waiting in Mexico as well as their supporters among immigrant rights groups across the country that have argued for years the policy is being abused.
But the decision could also buy some time for the Biden administration, after it has been criticized by some Democratic allies of the president who say the White House doesn’t have a plan to deal with what would be tens of thousands of more migrants entering the country should the policy end.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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