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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/
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