Federal Judge Bars Biden Administration from Using a Trump-Era Policy in Expelling Migrant Families
A federal judge on Thursday barred the Biden administration from utilizing the Trump-era policy Title 42, to expel migrant families outside the United States.
The said order was ruled by District Judge Emmet Sullivan from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The ruling that will take effect 14 days after the ruling will prevent the Biden administration to rapidly expel migrant families who crossed the U.S. borders with minors and children.
Although the said ruling prevented the administration from using Title 42 against migrant families, New York Post reported that the order does not prohibit the current administration from utilizing the Trump-era policy to expel single adult migrants.
Under Title 42, the U.S. is allowed to expel migrants over COVID-19 concerns. Furthermore, the said policy also allowed U.S. officials to send migrants back to Mexico, without having the chance of seeking asylum or other protection in the United States.
Judge Blocks Biden Admin From Using the Trump-era Policy on Migrant Families
In the ruling, Judge Sullivan emphasized the reason why the court banned the Biden administration from using the Title 42 policy on the borders against migrant families.
Sullivan explained that COVID-19 transmission during border processing cannot be mitigated amid the wide availability of vaccines, testing, and other minimization processes.
Sullivan also argued that the said "decade-old public health law" does not give rights to the current administration to expel migrant families or people from other countries. Moreover, the federal judge also contended that rapid expulsions can be endangering the lives of some of the migrant families by denying them the right to seek asylum and sending them back to their countries where they fear persecution.
Sullivan's ruling came as the American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant rights organizations resumed a lawsuit in August, challenging the Title 42 policy. The said lawsuit was filed under the Trump administration.
It can be recalled that immigrant rights experts contended that Title 42 does prohibits the rights of people to apply for asylum, even though international and federal law permits individuals coming into the U.S. to seek asylum.
It was not the first time Sullivan attempted to combat the rapid expulsion. In November, the federal judge prevented the federal government from expelling unaccompanied minors. However, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed his ruling in January.
Expelled Migrant Families Under the Trump-Era Policy
On August 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended Title 42. It can be recalled that the agency first issued the policy under the Trump administration in October. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that the policy would be in effect until their agency determined that the danger against COVID-19 is will no longer put endanger public health.
Since August, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 16,000 migrant families expelled by the U.S. Meanwhile, more than 70,000 migrant families were permitted by the Biden administration to enter the United States.
However, the number of migrant families expelled fell since July, as the Mexican government allegedly stopped the U.S. to expel families from Central America into their country.
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This article is owned by Latin Post
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: 'Anyone Who's Saying That Title 42 Is About Public Health Is Absolutely Wrong.' - From MSNBC