On Monday, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts placed a temporary hold on the termination of Title 42, a Trump-era border security policy that was set to end this week.
Title 42 was set to end on Wednesday, December 21, after a U.S. federal court denied a lawsuit filed by a group of Republican attorney generals to keep the border security policy in place.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who led the states’ lawsuit, said in a statement earlier Monday that “getting rid of Title 42 will recklessly and needlessly endanger more Americans and migrants by exacerbating the catastrophe that is occurring at our southern border… Unlawful crossings are estimated to surge from 7,000 per day to as many as 18,000.”
In a brief order, Roberts stayed the ruling of the lower court and asked the Biden administration to respond by 5 p.m. ET Tuesday to the Republicans’ emergency appeal.
“U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts has HALTED the lifting of Title 42 for now. Texas and other states are insisting that the Court leave Title 42 in place. Today’s order is a step in that direction,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said in reaction to the move. “This helps prevent illegal immigration.”
BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts has HALTED the lifting of Title 42 for now.
Texas and other states are insisting that the Court leave Title 42 in place.
Today's order is a step in that direction.
This helps prevent illegal immigration.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 19, 2022
Customs and Border Protection officials have warned that about 50,000 migrants were waiting to cross into the United States once Title 42 is lifted. Abbott warned over the weekend that the end of Title 42 would lead to “total chaos” at the southern border.
“If the courts don’t intervene and put a halt of removal to the Title 42 it’s going to be total chaos,” Abbott said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week.”
“It was known from the time that Joe Biden got elected that Joe Biden supported open borders,” he added. “It is known by the cartels who have sophisticated information whether or not the Biden administration is going to enforce the immigration laws or not is known across the world but most importantly, known among the cartels.”
