Republican lawmakers are renewing calls for President Joe Biden to extend the country’s border policies implemented under Title 42, with some specifically pointing to countries like Guatemala that need United States support ahead of an expected surge of immigrants coming to the southern border.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, urging the Biden administration to supply Guatemala with increased resources ahead of the expiration of Title 42 next week. The COVID-era policy is scheduled to expire on Thursday, prompting calls from lawmakers to implement increased measures to alleviate expected chaos at the border.
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“We have a major problem,” Salazar wrote. “I just received a warning of biblical proportions from the President of Guatemala. Guatemala is at the breaking point after bearing endless waves of migrants rushing to our Southern Border after the irresponsible comments made by President Biden at the beginning of his presidency. They need serious help from you now.”
Salazar’s request urges the Department of Homeland Security to provide Guatemala with ground and aerial military-grade vehicles as a way to close the country’s border and prevent migrants from traveling to the United States.
“Your Administration must recognize that we have hit crisis levels and start taking bold actions,” Salazar wrote. “Giving a critical partner of the United States like Guatemala the tools it needs is key to securing our border and ending this disaster now.”
The request echoes calls from lawmakers in the Senate to extend the provisions of Title 42, a border security policy implemented under the Trump administration that allows U.S. officials to expel migrants immediately upon encountering them.
A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this week that would give the Biden administration authority to expel migrants attempting to enter the country illegally without inspection or documents, mirroring similar measures authorized under Title 42. The legislation would then expire after two years, giving lawmakers enough time to enact a more permanent border security policy.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and John Cornyn (R-TX).
“It is truly a shame we continue to govern from crisis to crisis,” Manchin said. Despite ample notice about the pending expiration of Title 42, the Administration has failed to properly secure our southern border. The immigration crisis is only getting worse, and our broken immigration system is ill-equipped to handle it.”
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The legislation would provide some protections for migrants who face threats to their life or freedom by returning to their home country, and it would allow for case-by-case exemptions for those with “acute medical needs.”
Border Patrol agents made a record-breaking 2.3 million immigrant encounters during the 2022 fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs Border and Protection. But that number is expected to be even higher over the next fiscal year, especially after Title 42 is lifted.