Border Policy Expansion

President Joe Biden announced yesterday the expansion of the Title 42 border policy to allow the expulsion of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela caught crossing the border illegally. The move comes as Biden prepares for his first visit to the US-Mexico border while in office and weeks after administration lawyers argued for an end to the policy in front of the Supreme Court.

Implemented in March 2020 as an emergency health order to blunt the spread of the coronavirus, the policy allows the quick removal of migrants without the opportunity to claim asylum. Almost 1.1 million migrants were expelled under Title 42 in fiscal year 2022—roughly 45% of all southwest border encounters (see data)—with most originating from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Migrants from the four newly added countries accounted for more than 82,000 border stops in November alone.

The US will also accept up to 30,000 eligible migrants from the four new countries each month for two years.