Shift In Immigration Policy Outrages Southwest Riverside County GOP

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A pandemic-era policy implemented under President Donald Trump that has allowed border authorities to quickly remove undocumented migrants in order to protect U.S. citizens from the coronavirus will be phased out by summer, and some Southwest Riverside County Republican lawmakers are balking.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it will lift an emergency public health order known as Title 42. Implemented in March 2020, the policy has allowed authorities to swiftly turn back migrants at the border on the premise of protecting U.S. citizens against the pandemic.

The rollback of Title 42 is expected to go into effect May 23.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) said in a released statement Friday that ending Title 42 enforcement "is once again encouraging illegal immigration across our border and placing an unbearable burden on our federal law enforcement officers."

He continued, "It’s hard to understand why President Biden is lifting coronavirus restrictions on illegal immigrants before they are lifted on Americans flying on airplanes or riding trains. Similarly, it’s hard to understand why we are lifting coronavirus restrictions on illegal immigrants before members of Congress are being required to show for work and cast votes in-person."

Calvert represents District 42, which includes the cities of Eastvale, Norco, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Wildomar, Murrieta, and portions of Temecula.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Temecula), whose 50th District includes a sliver of Temecula, shared news of the Title 42 update on his official Twitter feed with the caption, "Biden prepares to open the immigration floodgates again."

The CDC cited COVID vaccines and treatment options as reasons to end Title 42.

"After considering current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19 (such as highly effective vaccines and therapeutics), the CDC Director has determined that an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary," the federal agency said in a released statement.

According to the statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security "has and will implement additional COVID-19 mitigation procedures. These measures, along with the current public health landscape where 97.1% of the U.S. population lives in a county identified as having “low” COVID-19 Community Level, will sufficiently mitigate the COVID-19 risk for U.S. communities," the statement continued.

The U.S. has started offering COVID vaccinations to undocumented migrants at the border.

Migrants have been expelled more than 1.7 million times from the United States under Title 42. The process is quick with little red tape. Without Title 42 in place, border patrol facilities are expected to become more overcrowded and backed up while officials go through the usual screening process.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains facilities across Riverside County, including in Murrieta and Temecula.

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