(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is planning to revive the Title 42 policy, which allows immigration officials to expel migrants over disease concerns, CBS News first reported.
If Title 42 were enacted again, officials could remove migrants from the United States by citing the potential spread of diseases such as tuberculosis, according to internal government documents obtained by the outlet.
What is Title 42 and why was it taken away?
This border policy was first enacted in Trump’s first administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the policy allowed U.S. officials to turn away anyone who came to the U.S.-Mexico border. The reasoning? Preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Before, migrants could cross the border illegally, ask for asylum and then be allowed into the country. They would be screened and, most times, released to wait for their case to resolve, according to the Associated Press.
When Title 42 was enacted, migrants were returned to Mexico and denied asylum. The only people who were exempt were families and children traveling alone. However, there were never any real consequences for illegally crossing, so migrants were able to try multiple times to get into the U.S.
Former President Joe Biden had kept this Trump-era policy in place, but he allowed it to expire in 2023 when the public health crisis ended.
Trump’s early border actions
This policy move would be the latest in Trump’s sweeping efforts to increase deportations and tighten the nation’s southern border. In just his first week back at the White House, the 47th president signed a slew of executive orders to curtail immigration and deport unauthorized migrants already in the country.
Other orders:
- Shut down the CBP One app
- Designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
- Attempted to end birthright citizenship
- Shuttered the U.S. refugee program
He also permitted immigration officers to enter sensitive locations including schools and churches to conduct raids, though a federal judge partially blocked the policy Monday.
Though the new policies have led to a steep drop in border crossings compared to last year, both “border czar” Tom Homan and Trump are seemingly displeased with the number of arrests and deportations carried out.
One source with knowledge of the matter said the president told aides that, “The numbers are too f—— low.”
“He wants more,” the source said of the president’s demand.
Similarly, Homan said, “They’re doing a great job, but they’ve got to do more.”
NewsNation’s Jorge Ventura contributed to this report.