Quantcast

Peach Tree Times

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Warnock warns Biden Administration that a hasty end to Title 42 could make a 'dire humanitarian situation worse'

Raphael warnock gh 8285 50335637896

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock | Raphael Warnock

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock | Raphael Warnock

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is among the Democratic senators warning the Biden Administration about the ramifications of lifting Title 42 border restrictions without a comprehensive plan to handle the impact.

"Senator Warnock believes in protecting the humanity of migrants at the border, but before this policy is rescinded, the administration should present a plan for how it will ensure our border security has the manpower, infrastructure, humanitarian and legal resources they need to prevent this policy change from making an already dire humanitarian situation worse," a spokesperson told Fox News in early April. 

Warnock is among many Democratic senators, who have historically supported an open border and are up for reelection this fall but have warned Biden of the dangers of lifting Title 42.

A recent poll conducted by Politico-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll sought to determine the opinions of adults regarding Title 42, a border policy established during the pandemic. The measure allows U.S. immigration officials to return migrants to their home countries so as to protect the U.S. in a public health emergency.  

According to the poll, a majority of American adults oppose ending the use of Title 42 to prevent migrants from entering the U.S., going against the Biden Administration’s decision to lift the restrictions. The poll showed 55% of American adults oppose halting the use of Title 42, while 45% support the administration's plan to abolish Title 42 and remove the ability to limit those coming in the U.S.

Title 42 was first put in place by the Trump Administration in the spring of 2020. The Biden Administration announced on April 1 that it was revoking Title 42 and gave an effective date of May. 23.

Those plans came to a halt on May 20 when Judge Robert Summerhays, who presides over the U.S. District Court for Louisiana, issued an injunction that prevented the White House from lifting the border restriction, CNN reported. The White House issued a statement saying it would appeal Judge Summerhays' ruling. Sen. Warnock has not released any public statements regarding the injunction.

"The administration disagrees with the court’s ruling, and the Department of Justice has announced that it will appeal this decision," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote in the statement.

Not everyone agrees with the White House, which is taking heat in the media for its plans regarding Title 42. In fact, one columnist thinks Biden should thank the judge. “What it should do instead is send Judge Summerhays a bouquet," Jason Riley, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion columnist, wrote on May 24. 

This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that approximately 202,000 people were stopped at the southern border in April. That’s a 22-year high, and Border Patrol detention facilities are already operating at more than 200% capacity, the WSJ reported.

According to ABC News, the DHS is preparing for as many as 18,000 migrants per day at the southern border in the event that Title 42 is revoked.

MORE NEWS