Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Biden Administration’s Attempt to Release Migrants Quickly at Border

On May 6, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained migrants attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. This came after the Biden administration lifted pandemic-related asylum restrictions that had expelled migrants millions of times.

The lifting of the restrictions threatened to put a historic strain on the nation’s beleaguered immigration system, as migrants raced to enter the United States before new restrictions set in.

However, the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to release migrants more quickly when Border Patrol holding stations are full. U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell ordered the Biden administration to halt the quick migrant release policy at the same time it discontinued the Title 42 pandemic-era order, granting a request by Republican officials in Florida.

The ruling came just hours before the Title 42 border restrictions expired at 11:59 p.m. EDT Thursday, raising concerns about severe overcrowding in already over-capacity Border Patrol migrant facilities. It remains to be seen how the Biden administration will respond to the ruling and how it will affect the influx of migrants into the United States.