Pandemic Aid Tied to Title 42

An effort to secure more COVID-19 funding remains stalled because of Title 42. Last Friday, May 20, 2022, a federal judge blocked the Biden Administration from lifting a border control policy that has allowed immigration officials to turn away migrants at the border.  Republicans want to preserve the pandemic-related border policy and have vowed to continue to block any COVID-19 aid bill unless they are permitted a vote on an amendment to keep the immigration restriction in place.  A handful of Senate Democrats have also raised concerns about the plan to lift Title 42 and some have signed onto bipartisan legislation (S 4036) that would keep Title 42 in place until the public health emergency is lifted.  Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including Rep. Jayapal and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are planning to oppose any legislation that would extend the Title 42 directive. The preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana halted the lifting of Title 42 temporarily while a lawsuit brought by Republican state attorneys general unfolds. Border officials are pushing the Administration for a supplemental funding bill to cover the costs of what could be a record number of migrants at the border if Title 42 is lifted.