As Title 42 ends, this advocate says Biden is linking good policies to anti-immigrant ones

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Monday, May 1, 2023 - 12:12pm

Audio icon Download mp3 (10.25 MB)

Child asylum seeker holding teddy bear
Glenn Fawcett/U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and agents process a small group of asylum-seekers at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas, on February 26, 2021.

Title 42 — the controversial, Trump-era pandemic protocol that allows immigration authorities to rapidly expel migrants — is ending in less than two weeks. That has local officials in border towns speaking out about a potential “humanitarian disaster” on the horizon if they are flooded by migrants seeking asylum, as many expect.

But now, the Biden administration is announcing a plan that federal officials hope will relieve some of the pressure. Late last week, the administration said it will open processing centers in several Latin American countries for migrants anywhere in the Western hemisphere to apply for asylum or refugee status.

The goal is to encourage migrants to go through a legal process to enter the country — and not depend on smugglers who often put them in danger.

But not all immigrant rights advocates are entirely happy with the move.

For more, the Show spoke to Chelsea Sachau, managing attorney of the Border Action Team at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.

More stories from KJZZ

The ShowImmigration Southwest Border