This week alone, two vulnerable Democratic senators from New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan and Arizona’s Mark Kelly, who are touring or planning to travel to the southern border, met with customs and border officials to obtain information on how 42 communities there and will show voters that they are not running in a closed step with Biden. While both Hassan and Kelly have made previous border trips, the visits come as concerns about the end of Title 42 have reached a fever. Hassan, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, visited a central processing center in McAllen, Texas, as well as an entry port and border area in Nogales, Arizona, over the weekend. Kelly plans to visit Douglas Port in Arizona on Wednesday, where he will also meet with local officials about the impact that Title 42 could have. For Hassan, the trip only crystallized her concerns about the Biden government’s immigration move. “My trip to the southern border has heightened my concerns about the precautionary termination of Title 42 by the administration. Border agents were clear to me that the end of Title 42 would lead to a sharp increase in transit attempts “effectively because they do not have enough resources,” Hassan told CNN. that smugglers will try to take advantage of the increase in transit attempts “. Hassan urged the administration not to finish Title 42 until they have a plan. “The administration must have a humane process for asylum seekers, which requires additional staff to control and process migrants. The administration should not terminate Title 42 until it has drawn up a comprehensive plan to enhance the security of migrants. borders and the provision of this additional border support. “ Members have also been working behind the scenes in recent weeks with Homeland Security officials to try to figure out a plan to manage a possible increase in immigration at the border once Title 42 is gone. Both Hassan and Kelly had private conversation with DHS secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The administration announced on April 1 that it would repeal Title 42, a Covid-era policy that allowed migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin immediately citing a public health emergency instead of being processed according to standard immigration rules. allowing more immigrants to stay in the United States while their claims are being processed. However, the decision was met with a strong reaction from many in Biden’s party. Last week, several Democrats in House and Senate joined the Republicans in backing legislation that would permanently block the government’s decision on Title 42 until the public health emergency in other government departments was lifted. Kelly and Hassan both backed the bill, as did Senators Jon Tester of Montana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. In House, five other Democrats signed similar legislation, including Jared Golden of Maine, Tom O ‘Halleran of Arizona, Greg Stanton of Arizona, Stephanie Murphy of Florida and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire. “I’m joining a bipartisan group to introduce a bill that would prevent the Biden government from withdrawing Title 42 until a specific plan to address the effects on border communities is proposed and approved,” said O’Halleran, whose district was expanded. recently includes more Republican voters. “Any changes to the current system need to be detailed and developed in consultation with local leaders, community supporters and government entities in border states such as Arizona.” The decision has also put some Democrats in a tough political position among progressives and pro-immigration supporters at their base, who believe it is time to repeal Title 42 and shake up voters who may see the decision and its possible consequences as a reason for to vote against a candidate. Nevada Republican Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock both said it was not the right time to repeal the rule in public statements, but have not gotten to the point of signing Republican-backed legislation to blocks the government process. movement. “This is the wrong way to do this and it will leave the administration unprepared for a wave at the border,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “We need to work to improve our immigration system by investing in border security and treating immigrant families with dignity. Instead, the administration is acting without a detailed plan.” Although it does not take effect until May, the Biden’s decision on Title 42 has already become a major campaign issue for Republicans seeking to label Democrats as soft on immigration and the rule of law. Republicans in Parliament have begun an effort to force a floor vote to retain Title 42 in place. In the Senate, a debate over whether to pass an amendment that would block the government’s decision derailed the passage of the $ 10 billion relief bill for Covid-19.
