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U.S. NEWS Thursday 5 May 2022
U.S. quietly expands asylum limits while preparing to end them

By ELLIOT SPAGAT and
CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The
Biden administration has
begun expelling Cubans
and Nicaraguans to Mexi-
co under pandemic-relat-
ed powers to deny migrants
a chance to seek asylum,
expanding use of the rule
even as it publicly says it
has been trying to unwind
it, officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. struck agreement
with Mexico to expel up to
100 Cubans and 20 Nicara-
guans a day from three lo-
cations: San Diego; El Paso,
Texas; and Rio Grande
Valley, Texas, according
to a U.S. official with direct
knowledge of the effort.
The expulsions began April
27 and will end May 22,
the official told The Associ-
ated Press on condition of
anonymity because the
agreement has not been
made public. They are car-
ried out under Title 42 au-
thority, which was named
for a public health law and
used to expel migrants
on grounds of preventing In this Sept. 17, 2019 photo, a U.S. border patrol officer directs a Nicaraguan migrant family, who is applying for asylum in the U.S.,
spread of COVID-19. Title over International Bridge 1 from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico into Laredo, Texas, for an interview with immigration officials.
42 is due to expire May 23. Associated Press
The U.S. and Mexico agreed
April 26 to a very limited malans, Hondurans and El the U.S. in or near Yuma, that it was phasing out use Marisa Limón, senior direc-
number of expulsions of Salvadorans — in addition Arizona, and Del Rio, Texas. of the pandemic powers to tor of advocacy and plan-
Cubans and Nicaraguans, to Mexicans — under Title Nicaraguans were stopped prepare for May 23. ning at the Hope Border
according to a high-level 42 authority. Other nation- more than 16,000 times in The U.S. has expelled mi- Institute, said advocates
Mexican official who spoke alities are subject to Title March, more than double grants more than 1.8 million began learning about ex-
on condition of anonymity 42 but costs, strained dip- September's level. The vast times under Title 42 author- pulsions of Cubans and
because they were not au- lomatic ties and other con- majority enter in South Tex- ity since March 2020, ef- Nicaraguans from El Paso
thorized to comment pub- siderations often make it as. fectively overriding rights to on Monday and later con-
licly. It was prompted by difficult to send them back Lifting Title 42 has proven seek asylum under U.S. law firmed the new practice
higher numbers of migrants to their home countries. controversial as midterm and international treaty. In with U.S. officials.
from those two countries It's next to impossible for elections near, even for doing so, migrants are not Limón said the administra-
coming to the U.S. border. the U.S. to expel migrants Biden's Democratic Party, subject to immigration law, tion is "trying to get every
Mexico also took into ac- to Cuba or Nicaragua due amid concerns that the which include rights to seek last bit out of Title 42" before
count that the U.S. govern- to poor relations with those U.S. is unprepared for an protection from persecu- it expires. She called it "so-
ment had started process- governments. That has anticipated increase in mi- tion at home. bering" but consistent with
ing visas in Cuba again, the posed an acute challenge grants seeking asylum. Au- The administration said in the administration's efforts
official said. Mexico had for the Biden administration thorities stopped migrants court filings that it began to have other countries in
already begun processing as more people from those more than 221,000 times in processing more Central the Western hemisphere
visas for Cubans. countries seek haven in the March, the highest mark in American adults under im- take more responsibility for
Another Mexican official, United States. 22 years. migration laws after the hosting people fleeing their
also not authorized to com- Cubans were stopped by The White House and CDC's announcement on homes.q
ment publicly, confirmed U.S. authorities more than Homeland Security Depart- April 1. But a federal judge
that up to 100 Cubans and 32,000 times on the Mexi- ment have publicly stood in Louisiana ruled last week
20 Nicaraguans were be- can border in March, dou- behind the Centers for Dis- that it couldn't start un-
ing expelled from San Di- ble the number in February ease Control and Preven- winding Title 42 while it was
ego under Title 42 under and more than five times tion's decision to end the still in effect.
an agreement that runs October's count, accord- measure because it could U.S. District Judge Robert
through May 22. ing to U.S. Customs and no longer be justified on Summerhays strongly criti-
The U.S. Department of Border Protection. Nicara- grounds of protecting pub- cized the CDC's decision,
Homeland Security did not gua eased travel restric- lic health. suggesting he would try to
immediately respond to a tions from Cuba in Novem- But the practice of expelling keep Title 42 in effect after
request for comment. ber, making it easier for Cu- Cubans and Nicaraguans May 23. A hearing is sched-
Until last week, Mexico only bans to continue by land to runs counter to the admin- uled May 13 for oral argu-
agreed to take Guate- the U.S. border. Most enter istration's public statements ments. facebook.com/arubatoday/