Scott Jennings, a former senior adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), told CNN on Tuesday that the Supreme Court “saved Joe Biden from himself.”
In a 5-4 ruling, the high court left Title 42 intact. The Trump-era immigration policy allowed border agents to quickly expel illegal migrants due to COVID-19 concerns and proved effective.
The law will remain in effect at least through February, when arguments are scheduled in a legal challenge before the court.
Jennings noted that the Biden administration is challenging the rule that at least slowed the record number of illegal crossings at the nation’s southern border. He said that “the solicitor general admitted that lifting Title 42 will lead to disruption and a temporary increase” in illegal migrants.
In this case, he believed, “the Supreme Court here did them a favor.”
Jennings pointed towards a string of dishonest statements from the White House over the border, and each is demonstrably false. Claims that the border is “secure” are clearly inaccurate, and Biden’s press secretary incredibly asserted that “it’s not like they walk across, that’s not true.”
BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts has HALTED the lifting of Title 42 for now.
Texas and other states are insisting that the Court leave Title 42 in place.
Today's order is a step in that direction.
This helps prevent illegal immigration.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 19, 2022
Title 42 was set to end on Dec. 21, but the case brought by over a dozen Republican state attorneys general was temporarily successful in upholding the policy.
At least in this instance, the Biden administration apparently intends to follow federal law. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Marsha (Catron) Espinosa tweeted that the Title 42 public health order will continue to be enforced.
Espinosa said those who “attempt to enter the United States unlawfully will continue to be expelled to Mexico or their home country.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) declared that the Supreme Court’s temporary stay will help stem the flood of trafficking and drugs at the southern border.
Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) figures are staggering. For the Fiscal Year 2022, officials encountered more than 2.3 million illegal migrants, far and away a new record.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported that October, the first month of the new fiscal year, saw another 230,00 encounters with an estimated 600,000 migrants slipping by CBP. Title 42 in some form should remain the law of the land, and the temporary stay is a good starting point to that end.
