(NewsNation) — A California representative says there’s hysteria around the Title 42 immigrant issue, and it’s missing the point.
Many Republicans and even some Democrats are concerned the Biden administration’s plan to let the Trump-era border policy expire could lead to an unmanageable number of migrants coming across the southern border.
Title 42 is a World War II-era provision that allows the federal government to turn away people seeking asylum to prevent the spread of illness. President Donald Trump invoked it during the pandemic.
“This is not a health issue. Title 42 is about a health issue,” Rep. Lou Correa (D, Calif.) told NewsNation. “This is a refugee issue.”
NewsNation host Leland Vittert pressed Correa on whether there was time to argue over the semantics as Border Patrol logged half a million migrant encounters this year already. Correa believes there needs to be a system that determines asylum status at the border, rather than forcing migrants to wait for a later hearing.
“You know what we need to have? A refugee process that is quick,” Correa said.