On Thursday, four Democratic members of the U.S. Senate slammed Joe Biden’s most recent proposal for handling the immigration crisis, particularly the plans to slightly increase the number of deportations.
As reported by The Hill, ahead of Biden’s planned first trip to the southern border since taking office, the Biden Administration announced revised plans that involve temporarily expanding Title 42 to increase the number of daily deportations by turning away illegal aliens who present themselves at the border.
In response, Democrats Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued a joint statement condemning the new plan just hours after it was first announced.
“While we understand the challenges the nation is facing at the Southern border exacerbated by Republican obstruction to modernizing our immigration system,” the statement falsely declared, “we are deeply disappointed by the Biden Administration’s decision to expand the use of Title 42.”
“Continuing to use this failed and inhumane Trump-era policy put in place to address a public health crisis will do nothing to restore the rule of law at the border,” they continued. “Instead, it will increase border crossings over time and further enrich human smuggling networks.”
The four senators did offer praise for another aspect of the plan, which allows up to 30,000 illegals to enter the country uninhibited every month, provided they are from the countries of either Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela; but they continued to criticize other aspects of the plan as well, including the White House’s claim that requiring illegals to apply for asylum from their home country does not equate to a travel ban.
“We are also concerned about the Administration’s new transit ban regulation that will disregard our obligations under international law by banning families from seeking asylum at the border,” the statement read, “likely separating families and stranding migrants fleeing persecution and torture in countries unable to protect them.”
Title 42 is a health policy that was first implemented by the Trump Administration at the onset of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. Citing the possible spread of disease and other public health risks, the Trump Administration used Title 42 to significantly reduce legal and illegal immigration into the country, and expanded its deportation efforts, ultimately succeeding in bringing total immigration rates to near zero by the end of the year. The Biden Administration has sought to end the policy, but the new reversal comes after the Supreme Court temporarily halted efforts to end the policy after a lawsuit was filed by 19 Republican-led states arguing for its preservation.