Voice of America
08 Dec 2022, 16:05 GMT+10
santa fe, new mexico - The U.S. government said Wednesday it is appealing a court ruling that would otherwise lift asylum restrictions that have become the cornerstone of border enforcement in recent years.
The disputed enforcement rule first took effect in March 2020, denying migrants' rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The Homeland Security Department said it would file an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, challenging a November ruling by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan that ordered President Joe Biden's administration to lift the asylum restrictions.
The restrictions were put in place under former President Donald Trump at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The practice was authorized under Title 42 of a broader 1944 law covering public health and has been used to expel migrants more than 2.4 million times. Many of those are repeated attempts to enter the U.S.
The appeal could scuttle a December 21 deadline set by Sullivan for his order to go into effect.
Sullivan has called the expulsion of migrants under the rule 'arbitrary and capricious.'
Immigrant rights' groups have argued that the use of Title 42 unjustly harms people fleeing persecution and that the pandemic was a pretext used by the Trump administration to curb immigration.
'The Biden administration's decision to appeal is unsurprising given its vigorous defense of the policy for the past two years,' said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU and lead counsel on its Title 42 litigation, in an email.
A coalition of conservative-leaning states wants to keep the policy in place.
The ban has been unevenly enforced by nationality, falling largely on migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador - as well as Mexicans - because Mexico allows them to be returned from the United States. Last month, Mexico began accepting Venezuelans who are expelled from the United States under Title 42, causing a sharp drop in Venezuelans seeking asylum at the U.S. border.
The asylum rule has been used by the Biden administration to expel migrant families and single adults, though not children traveling alone.
Get a daily dose of Austin Globe news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Austin Globe.
More InformationNew York [US], February 9 (ANI): Shares of Alphabet fell 8 per cent on Wednesday after the Google parent company ...
Washington [US], February 9 (ANI): Indian American Congressman Ami Bera has been elected as Ranking Member of the US House ...
The San Francisco 49ers avoided a worst-case scenario with quarterback Brock Purdy, who will have surgery to repair his torn ...
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is replacing the Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams on the USA Basketball coaching staff. Williams ...
WASHINGTON - Former Twitter executives conceded Wednesday they made a mistake by blocking a story about Hunter Biden, the son ...
Florida's Ron DeSantis leads the one-on-one battle, but a divided opposition could help the former US president win, a poll ...
ORLANDO, Florida: Union members have voted down a contract proposal covering 45,000 service workers at the Disney World theme park ...
DALLAS, Texas: The Dallas Police have announced that two emperor tamarin monkeys that disappeared earlier this week from the Dallas ...
CHICAGO, Illinois: After an ice storm ravaged states from Texas to West Virginia, this week, airlines canceled over 1,800 flights ...
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points of his 36 points in the third quarter to fuel the host Washington Wizards to ...
Jarrett Allen finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds for his team-leading 23rd double-double of the season to lead the ...
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the officiating in the league has never been better. Goodell made the assertion ...