What Title 42 expiration could mean for Michigan
(CBS DETROIT) - Title 42 is a Trump-era border policy that is set to expire on May 11. The policy was instituted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was used as a tool to immediately expel those who crossed the border from countries considered to have high infection rates.
"Yeah, this is just unbelievable times," said Herman Dhade, an immigration attorney based in West Bloomfield.
With the expiration of Title 42, Dhade said the United States is acting very differently related to its northern and southern borders.
"They made sure to secure the northern border but they're doing kind of the opposite on the southern border. There's thousands and thousands and thousands of migrants on their way up and that some of them are lining up already to enter the United States on May 12," Dhade said.
The Biden administration recently sent 1,500 troops to the southern border ahead of Title 42's expiration to help with the influx of migrants trying to cross the border now there will be no legal tool to immediately expel them from the country.
Many of the migrants are seeking political asylum from their home countries, which Dhade said is perfectly legal.
"I am all for legal immigration. Our country is a nation of immigrants, we need immigrants in this country, but the fact is when your first act coming to this country is to break our law, that is a bad way to enter the country.," said Jamie Roe, a political consultant based in Macomb County.
Roe said those seeking asylum are supposed to be seeking refuge in the closest country to their home country, but he doesn't believe that is the case in many instances.
Roe believes migrants are seeking a better economic opportunity and feels that is also fine too; however, he says there is a different process that must be followed is this is the case. He said it's too risky not to check a migrant's background given the current drug trafficking crisis happening on the same southern border.
"And what we need to have is a system where people seeking economic opportunity can enter the country on a legal basis after their vetted and we need to keep the criminals and drug dealers out," he said.
Roe said without a border security plan in place, every state acts as a border and states like Michigan would be infiltrated with illegal aliens.
"And we've spent 100 billion dollars plus to defend Ukraine's border, but this president doesn't seem to care about our own southern border," he said.
Earlier this year, the US and Canada entered into an agreement to close certain border crossings on the northern border. The new agreement would require both countries to return those trying to enter illegally.
Dhade spoke out against that agreement and said he believes it would be beneficial for the US to implement similar policies on each of its borders.
"I definitely think there should be a unified policy and procedures, and I think actually closing the northern border to asylum-seekers was a mistake in both porter should be treated equally," Dhade said.
