Georgia has signed on to a Republican-led lawsuit challenging the Biden administration over its plans to lift Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows for the quick expulsion of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on public health grounds.
In a federal court complaint filed Thursday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr joined other Republican officials to warn that “unmitigated chaos and catastrophe” could follow Title 42 revocation. Carr, who is running for re-election, and others are seeking an injunction to keep the current policy in place longer.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ruled that the COVID-19 pandemic has eased enough to allow for “the resumption of regular migration.”
Both the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security have said they expect border crossings to increase once the policy change takes effect, currently scheduled for May 23.
In their lawsuit, Republicans cite support for Title 42 extension from political rivals in the U.S. Senate, including Democratic Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. Last week, Warnock’s stance on Title 42 drew a swift rebuke from a coalition of Georgia immigrant advocacy groups, including organizations that have backed him in the past.
Lautaro Grinspan is a Report for America corps member covering metro Atlanta’s immigrant communities.
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