The number of people crossing the southern border every day has reached a record high under the Biden administration, and it is expected to rise even further when restrictions on COVID-19 are lifted this month.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested more than $3 billion from Congress to combat this surge, but Republicans may be unwilling to approve this amount.
DHS Requesting for Large Funding for Possible Migrant Surge
According to three senior DHS officials involved with the preparations, the Department of Homeland Security has reportedly submitted a request for billions of dollars to the Office of Management and Budget in the White House.
NBC News reported that a technical assistance package for the fiscal year 2023 includes this additional funding, which comes on top of the president’s budget proposals.
Because they want the border to be secured before any further money is spent, Republicans have been hesitant to authorize additional funds for the Democratic administration’s border initiatives.
White House spokesperson said that if Republicans in Congress are serious about securing the border, they will provide the DHS with the funding they need to protect the nation’s borders and create a system for legal immigration that is fair to all.
Since former President Trump’s administration implemented the Covid-19 limits known as Title 42 in 2020, it has prevented over 2.4 million asylum claims from being filed by migrants.
The report also revealed that a federal court ruling says policy must end on Dec. 21 and some Republican-led states are appealing.
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Appeal to Block Trump-Era Policy for Migrants
The Biden administration has chosen to challenge the judgment of a federal court to block the implementation of a controversial policy from the Trump administration that would have allowed for the rapid removal of migrants at the US-Mexico border.
US District Judge Emmet Sullivan halted his decision last month, allowing the government five weeks to get ready to comply with Title 42 after being asked to do so by the Biden administration, CNN reported.
While Title 42 began during the Trump presidency, it has become an important tool for the Biden administration in its response to the increasing migration in the Western hemisphere. When the restrictions are lifted, officials expect a flood of migrants.
According to a government official, the new motion doesn’t ask the court to reevaluate the CDC’s decision that Title 42 is unnecessary.
Instead, the Justice Department has signaled that it will seek a judgment from the Court of Appeals to prove that the CDC acted within its legal jurisdiction.
