On Sunday, Rep. Gonzales (R-TX) claimed that there was a surge in the illegal crossings at the southern border as a federal health rule which allowed the government to expel migrants without having to process them through the asylum process (Title 42), is about to expire next month.
Title 42, was first enacted during the Trump admin at the start of the pandemic. As a rule, it allowed the federal government to turn away migrants who were looking to enter the country. The Biden admin has repeatedly defended this policy, but many immigration advocates have argued that it violates both international and federal law. The policy is currently set to expire on 11th May, and the federal government is preparing for what is expected to be a large influx in the number of illegal crossings following the expiration of the rule.
Gonzales, the representative of a border district, replied to a question on CBS about whether border agents had the necessary resources to deal with an influx that they did not. He added that this is the 4th time that they have seen this influx following the expected end of Title 42 and that every time the “numbers are getting worse.”
The House is also currently preparing to vote on an immigration bill brought forth by GOP, which Gonzales had previously held out on but is now willing to support. The plan would codify the Trump-era immigration restrictions, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy which deems that asylum seekers need to stay in a detention center or outside of the United States while their claim is being processed.
