The Department of Homeland Security and Department of State announced unprecedented policies to expand entry to the United States while also claiming the border is closed ahead of the public health authority Title 42 ending on May 11.
The new policies, they said, will “further reduce unlawful migration across the Western Hemisphere, significantly expand lawful pathways for protection, and facilitate the safe, orderly, and humane processing of migrants.”
The Title 42 public health order is set to expire 11:59 PM EST on May 11. Implemented under former President Donald Trump, Title 42 allowed border agents to immediately expel foreign nationals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lifting the order “does not mean the border is open,” the statement says.
When Title 42 is lifted, it claims federal agents “will return to using Title 8 immigration authorities to expeditiously process and remove individuals who arrive at the U.S. border unlawfully.”
