Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Thom Tillis announced bipartisan legislation Thursday that would allow border agents to turn away migrants who cross the border without a hearing, one week before similar pandemic-era border controls are set to end.
The proposed bill, which is also backed by Sens. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, represents an effort by lawmakers to effectively continue the so-called Title 42 border policy, which is scheduled to end on May 11 with the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency order.
This policy, in place since March 2020, allows border agents to rapidly expel migrants who cross the border without considering their asylum claims under a public health law aimed at curbing the spread of disease. The Department of Homeland Security has projected border agents could encounter up to 13,000 migrants each day once the Title 42 policy is lifted.
