Biden backs away from controversial measure restricting asylum

The Biden administration moved on Friday to formally end Address 42, a Trump-era policy that allows rapid deportation of immigrants at the border and prevents them from seeking asylum.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that this policy, which the Trump and Biden administrations have used during the pandemic, will expire May 23.

“Based on the public health landscape, the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, and procedures in place to treat covered non-citizens (…) the CDC has determined that suspending the right to provide such covered non-citizens is no longer necessary to protect U.S. citizens, The US Health Agency wrote.

“Address 42 remains in effect through May 23, and until then, DHS will continue to deport single adults and families encountered on the southwest border,” said Alejandro, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for his part. Mayorkas, in a press release.

“We have a comprehensive government-wide strategy to manage any potential increase in the number of migrants encountered at our borders,” Mayorkas added.

The White House indicated earlier this week that even with Section 42 lifted, most immigrants who have crossed the border would not be able to remain in the United States.

“To be clear, most people who have crossed the border without legal permission will quickly be placed in deportation proceedings, and if they cannot establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, they will be quickly put into deportation proceedings,” White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said Thursday.

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