Republicans push for maintaining health measure that keeps out asylum seekers

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Republican lawmakers are pushing for a new bill to keep a public health measure, and they are getting support from some Democrats.

Title 42 is a health measure that keeps most asylum seekers out of the U.S. due to the pandemic. Republican lawmakers are pushing to keep the measure in place, despite opposing other public health measures such as mask and vaccine mandates.

“It ensures that Title 42 remains in place well into the future while we deal with both a pandemic and an immigration crisis,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).

All Republican senators and at least seven Democrats want to extend Title 42, and some are threatening to vote against $10 billion in additional COVID funding unless they get their way.

“What many Senate Republicans are talking about is anti-asylum,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) said in a statement that “the administration’s announcement to end Title 42 was done without a cohesive stragety in place to secure the border and prevent chaos.”

But Title 42 is a public health measure and its legal implementation is not supposed to be for immigration control. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin (D) says that’s why the Biden adminstration is trying phase it out.

“People who have legitimate asylum claims should be able to pursue them,” Cardin said.