Biden Administration Weighs Reinstating Detention of Migrant Families at the Border

The Biden administration is considering reinstating the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, a practice President Joe Biden had ended when he came into office. This is one of several options being mulled by administration officials as they prepare for the end of Title 42, the public health order that allows border agents to immediately turn away certain migrants who crossed the southern border illegally.

Two sources familiar with the planning said White House and Homeland Security officials have met multiple times in recent days to discuss what would be necessary to restart the policy when Title 42 ends May 11. The meetings are in response to the high number of migrant border crossings and the anticipated expiration of Title 42.

Title 42 is a public health law that was invoked by the Trump administration in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Border agents have used it to deny migrants the right to enter the U.S. to claim asylum. More than 2.3 million people have been expelled since the Trump administration invoked it.

Many inside the administration are resisting the move, the sources added. No decisions have been made yet, the sources said. It is unclear what the administration will decide and what the implications will be for migrants attempting to cross the border.