Manchin urges White House to keep 42 tit-for-tat border policy

EXCLUSIVE: Senator Joe Manchin and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are calling on President Biden to extend a pandemic emergency order barring illegal immigrants from entering the United States.

Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday along with three Texas state lawmakers, pleading with administration officials to prevent the Dec. 21 expiration of Title 42.

“We have a crisis on our southern border. Never in our nation’s history have we experienced this scale and magnitude of illegal border crossing, and we are concerned that your administration has not provided adequate support or resources to the men and women of the Department. Border Homeland Security (DHS), which is tasked with ensuring the security,” the letter says.

The letter was signed by Manchin and three members of the Texas congressional delegation, including GOP Sen. John Cornyn. The letter was also signed by moderate Democratic House member Henry Cuellar and GOP Rep. Tony Gonzalez, whose district straddles the US-Mexico border.

BORDER DATA REVIEWS MIGRANT NUMBERS, LARGE GROUPS BEFORE THE END OF QUESTION 42

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invoked Title 42 in March 2020 to allow for a health-care suspension of immigration at the start of the COVID pandemic. The order allowed immigration officials to block illegal immigrants from entering the U.S. if they came from countries with high rates of COVID-19.

Biden maintained the policy for most of his first year in the White House, but has tried to undo it in recent months. White House officials have said the emergency evacuation order is no longer needed as the pandemic subsides.

Manchin and Texas lawmakers have warned that ending Title 42 now would exacerbate an already escalating migrant crisis at the border.

TEXAS LET OVER 2,500 MIGRANTS CROSS BORDER IN 24 HOURS

The letter was signed by Manchin and three members of the Texas congressional delegation, including GOP Sen. John Cornyn.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnick)

“While admittedly imperfect, the current repeal of CDC’s Title 42 order would result in a complete loss of operational control over the southern border, profoundly negative impacts on border communities, and the Joint It causes serious suffering and death among immigrants who enter the United States illegally,” the lawmakers wrote.

As of this month, more than 500,000 migrants have been apprehended in fiscal year 2023 — about 7,000 per day. Of this number, more than 162,000 were excluded under Section 42.

A FOX News crew witnessed a dramatic human-smuggling bust by TEXAS authorities.

Last month, a federal judge blocked the White House from using Title 42. The court ruled that the pandemic order violated federal laws governing rulemaking and policymaking by federal agencies. As part of the order, the court gave the Biden administration until Dec. 21 to end the order.

As of this month, more than 500,000 immigrants had been stopped at the border in the last fiscal year — nearly 7,000 a day. Of that number, more than 162,000 were deported under Title 42.
(Nick Ut/Getty Images)

The Justice Department is appealing the decision, and while the White House plans to rescind the order, the CDC maintains it has the authority to issue it. Administration officials have said the CDC is working on a policy to replace Title 42, but many expect it to be ready by Dec. 21.

Manchin and the Texas lawmakers say a legislative solution to the problem is the only way forward, but believe that “negotiations will take time.”

“We are committed to passing bipartisan legislation that would allow DHS to effectively implement policies and programs critical to supporting operational surveillance at the southern border and would not allow large numbers of immigrants to be paroled into the United States for months at a time.” we are committed to. or years-long processes,” they wrote..

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.