Senator Hassan Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill Delaying End of Title 42 & Requiring Comprehensive Administration Plan to Secure the Border

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Homeland Security Committee, joined colleagues in introducing the Public Health and Border Security Act to require all COVID-19-related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated. The legislation is led by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).

“Title 42 was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, and it makes no sense to end it when the administration continues to keep in place other pandemic restrictions and when it does not yet have a comprehensive plan to handle a steep increase in attempted border crossings that will occur once Title 42 is repealed,” said Senator Hassan. “Repealing Title 42 without a plan in place will do nothing to promote a responsible border policy that keeps our country safe and lives up to our humanitarian values. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bipartisan bill, and I look forward to hearing directly from border agents during my trip to the border this weekend about what additional steps the administration must take to strengthen border security.”

The bipartisan bill prevents the Administration from ending the Title 42 emergency authority until at least 60 days after ending the COVID-19 national emergency declaration. After the end of the national emergency, the Department of Homeland Security would have thirty days to submit to Congress a plan to address the impacts of the post-Title 42 migrant influx. That plan must be made in coordination with local governments, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations on the front-lines of the migrant crisis.

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