ICYMI: Papps Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Biden Administration from Lifting Immigration Restrictions without a Plan to Handle Surge at Border

Press Release

Bill would require a plan from DHS and HHS to respond to an expected surge at the Southern Border before the administration rolls back Title 42 authorities
Yesterday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), joined Reps. Jared Golden (ME-02), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), August Pfluger (TX-07), Stephanie Murphy (FL- 07), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-02), Don Bacon (NE-02), Greg Stanton (AZ-09), and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) to introduce the Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced similar bipartisan legislation in the Senate.

The bipartisan bill would prevent President Biden from lifting existing Title 42 immigration restrictions without a plan in place from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address the expected surge of migrants at the Southern border.

"The administration should not revoke Title 42 without developing the plans needed to protect the health and safety of the American people," said Congressman Pappas. "The administration should be taking into account all possible impacts as they review their policies, and they should also provide Congress with a more definitive plan for how any changes will be implemented after the public health emergency and the national emergency are formally rescinded. This bipartisan legislation insists on a stronger, more workable approach to the situation at our border, and I appreciate that a growing number of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are focusing on this critical issue."

The bill would prohibit the Biden Administration from ending Title 42 until 60 days after formally ending the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration. Within 30 days of ending the public health emergency, the President must submit a plan to process the migrant surge to Congress.

Title 42 is a provision of the Public Health Service Act of 1944. In March 2020, the Trump Administration invoked Title 42 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, preventing migrants presenting themselves at the border for asylum from remaining in the country while their cases were processed. The Biden Administration had largely continued the Trump Administration's policy, but announced that it will begin rolling back the policy next month.

The full bill text can be found here.