GOP States Sue As Biden Adm. Lifts Title 42 Order, Expected To Create Surge Of Illegal Immigrants At Border

As President Joe Biden moves to end the Title 42 pandemic restrictions at the border, three Republican Attorneys General are suing the Biden administration over it.

The lawsuit argues that the lifting of the order was done unlawfully and that it will have a devastating impact on states on the front lines of the illegal immigration crisis.

Republican states sue to stop Biden admin’s lifting of Title 42 border policy https://t.co/r8v6MoexYp

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 4, 2022

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Republican States Push Back

Attorneys General Mark Brnovich of Arizona, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, and Eric Schmitt of Missouri have filed the lawsuit.

Title 42 is a public health order used since March of 2020 to quickly turn away illegal immigrants. Opponents claim that it is used to stop legitimate refugees from entering the country.

The San Diego tribune notes that some illegal immigrants have attempted to cross the border 30 times in a matter of weeks.

Further, “Nearly everyone interviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune shortly after being expelled to Tijuana said that they had tried crossing the border three or more times in recent weeks in hopes of getting in.”

Clearly, what is happening at the border is not working.

The state lawsuit reads in part,

“This suit challenges an imminent, man-made, self-inflicted calamity: the abrupt elimination of the only safety valve preventing this administration’s disastrous border policies from devolving into an unmitigated catastrophe.”

During an appearance on the Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends” Monday morning, Brnovich stated,

“We want to stop the Biden administration from rescinding Title 42 because it may be one of the most boneheaded decisions of this administration, and they have done a lot of dumb things. I’m doing everything I can to hold the Biden administration accountable and stop them from destroying our southern border.”

By eliminating Title 42, the Biden Administration is sending a “come one, come all” message to would-be migrants and smugglers to an already overwhelmed system.

It’s a mistake, and there will be consequences. pic.twitter.com/Zq49Lx8cL6

— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) April 3, 2022

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Even Democrats Concerned About Announcement

In February alone, Title 42 halted roughly 55% of the more than 164,000 migrants at the border.

The decision to end Title 42 is one that has even some Democrats concerned about the effect it will have at the border. After the announcement on Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) slammed the Biden administration, saying the move was a “frightening decision.” Manchin predicted that the influx of illegal immigrants will “only get worse.”

Earlier last week, Manchin had called on the Biden administration to make Title 42 permanent, and called the order “essential” for keeping numbers on the border from spiraling out of control even more.

Manchin stated,

“We are already facing an unprecedented increase in migrants this year, and that will only get worse if the Administration ends the Title 42 policy. We are nowhere near prepared to deal with that influx. Until we have comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform that commits to securing our borders and providing a pathway to citizenship for qualified immigrants, Title 42 must stay in place.”

Both Arizona Senators Mark Kelly (D) and Kyrsten Sinema (D) have have expressed concerns about ending the order to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has said that she is concerned about a massive surge at the border.

She tweeted, “Ending Title 42 prematurely will likely lead to a migrant surge that the administration does not appear to be ready for.”

Ending Title 42 prematurely will likely lead to a migrant surge that the administration does not appear to be ready for. I'll keep pushing the administration to strengthen border security & look forward to hearing directly from border agents during my upcoming trip to the border.

— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) April 1, 2022

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Possible Border Disaster

The Biden administration has said that Title 42 will end on May 23. Border Patrol and other federal officials and agents are all bracing for what they are expecting to be massive amounts of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border.

Federal officials are reportedly concerned that as many as 170,000 illegal immigrants and as many as 13,000 unaccompanied children could try to cross the border in May alone. But estimates are differing.

Fox News reporter Hillary Vaughn is reporting that sources at DHS are getting ready for as many as 500,000 in the first six weeks following the end of Title 42.

A source within CBP who has worked in law enforcement for 20+ years –  who is familiar with the process – who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity tells me DHS is bracing for as many as 500,000 migrants in the six weeks following Title 42 being lifted.

— Hillary Vaughn (@hillary__vaughn) March 31, 2022

Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez warned of the impending border surge saying, “Last year, we were calling it a crisis. This year, it will be a disaster. This is the calm before the storm.”