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A2 u.s. news
Wednesday 28 december 2022
Supreme Court keeps immigration limits in place indefinitely

By REBECCA SANTANA and preme Court, warning that
ELLIOT SPAGAT an increase in migration
Associated Press would take a toll on public
WASHINGTON (AP) — The services and cause an “un-
Supreme Court is keeping precedented calamity”
pandemic-era limits on im- that they said the federal
migration in place indefi- government had no plan
nitely, dashing hopes of im- to deal with. Roberts, who
migration advocates who handles emergency mat-
had been anticipating ters that come from federal
their end this week. courts in the nation’s capi-
In a ruling Tuesday, the Su- tal, issued a stay to give
preme Court extended a the court time to more fully
temporary stay that Chief consider both sides’ argu-
Justice John Roberts issued ments. The federal govern-
last week. ment asked the Supreme
Under the court’s order, Court to reject the states’
the case will be argued in effort while also acknowl-
February and the stay will edging that ending the
be maintained until the jus- restrictions abruptly would
tices decide the case. likely lead to “disruption
The limits were put in place and a temporary increase
under then-President Don- in unlawful border cross-
A Venezuelan migrant warms her hands over a campfire outside her makeshift tent refusing to be ald Trump at the begin- ings.” The Supreme Court’s
relocated to a refugee shelter, in Matamoros, Mexico, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. ning of the pandemic. Un- decision comes as thou-
Associated Press der the restrictions, officials sands of migrants have
have expelled asylum- gathered on the Mexican
seekers inside the United side of the border, filling
States 2.5 million times and shelters and worrying ad-
turned away most people vocates who are scram-
who requested asylum at bling to figure out how to
the border on grounds of care for them.
preventing the spread of The precise issue before
COVID-19. the court is a complicated,
The restrictions are often largely procedural ques-
referred to as Title 42 in ref- tion of whether the states
erence to a 1944 public should be allowed to inter-
health law. “We are deep- vene in the lawsuit, which
ly disappointed for all the had pitted advocates for
desperate asylum seekers the migrants against the
who will continue to suf- federal government. A
fer because of Title 42, but similar group of states won
we will continue fighting to a lower court order in a
eventually end the policy,” different court district pre-
said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer venting the end of the re-
with the American Civil strictions after the Centers
Liberties Union which had for Disease Control and
been arguing to end Title Prevention announced in
42’s use. Immigration advo- April that it was ending use
cates sued to end the use of the policy.
of Title 42, saying the policy Until the judge’s November
goes against American order in the advocates’
and international obliga- lawsuit, the states had not
tions to people fleeing to sought to take part in that
the U.S. to escape persecu- case. But they say that
tion. They’ve also argued the administration has es-
that the policy is outdated sentially abandoned its de-
as coronavirus treatments fense of the Title 42 policy
improve. A federal judge and they should be able to
sided with them in No- step in. The administration
vember and set a Dec. 21 has appealed the ruling,
deadline to end the policy. though it has not tried to
Conservative-leaning keep Title 42 in place while
states appealed to the Su- the legal case plays out.q
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