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The Biden White House is set to scrap Trump-era Title 42 expulsions on the southern border, which allowed border authorities to expel undocumented migrants immediately under the justification to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The imminent decision has evidenced the improvisation and divisions that have characterized the Democratic rule in DC.
It is widely expected that revoking title 42 will create a rush of migrants on the border, which has seen a record-high number of encounters over the last two years already. Leaving the discussions over the effectiveness of Title 42 aside, Biden has yet to announce an alternative for Border Patrol and USCIS to handle the influx of migrants after the ending of title 42, which is why scrapping title 42 will put even more stress on an already stretched Border Patrol.
The Democratic divisions that have characterized the Biden White House became even more evident this week in the debate over Title 42. A group of moderate Democratic Senators has openly opposed Biden’s plans to scrap Title 42, joining the GOP efforts to pass a bill ensuring that title 42 remains in effect, and breaking ranks with their unpopular President in an election year. Many of those Democrats have blasted Biden for not presenting a valid proposal to replace title 42.
The fate of the congressional effort to save Title 42 remains uncertain, however, as a bill enshrining the policy’s survival will have a very tough road in the House of Representatives. However, by pushing for scrapping title 42 without political support or an alternative plan, Biden has put himself and his party in a lose-lose situation: his administration either recants and looks weak, or goes ahead and reaps the political consequences of a new surge in the border just a few months before the midterms.
Biden took office with a very small margin of error, any policy he wanted to implement needed proper planning and a solid party behind him to succeed. However, his administration has done the opposite, making improvisation and division the staples of their first year in office, to the detriment of America and the world.
This article originally appeared in El American’s newsletter on April 10, 2022. Subscribe for free here!
Daniel is a Political Science and Economics student from the University of South Florida. He worked as a congressional intern to Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) from January to May 2020. He also is the head of international analysis at Politiks // Daniel es un estudiante de Cs Políticas y Economía en la Universidad del Sur de la Florida. Trabajo como pasante legislativo para el Representate Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) desde enero hasta mayo del 2020. Daniel también es el jefe de análisis internacional de Politiks.