BREAKING: U.S. Representative Cuellar, A Democrat, Has Urged The Biden Administration To Extend Title 42, Saying, “We Need To Listen To The Border Communities”

Cuellar represents border towns who are “very anxious” about what would happen if Title 42 is repealed. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, is urging Washington to pay attention to the realities at the border as the Biden administration prepares to rescind the Title 42 public health order that permits for accelerated deportation of migrants due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cuellar, whose district covers a portion of the southern border, is one of a handful of Democrats who oppose President Biden’s decision, which he said might have major consequences on “Fox News Sunday.”

“They’re listening to immigration activists,” Cuellar said, “but my question is who’s listening to the men and women in green and blue, and more importantly, who’s listening to the border communities, sheriffs, landowners, and the rest of the people who live on the border?”

Cuellar claimed he recently spoke with residents near the border who were “extremely apprehensive” about the lifting of Title 42. Cuellar stated, “We need to listen to the border communities.” “This message of removing Title 42 is going to go right to the criminal groups,” the congressman said, justifying his constituents’ fears.

Cuellar had previously stated in the interview that 60% of Border Patrol personnel did not work in the field at the border, but rather in border processing facilities. “It’s like having a school where only 40% of the instructors are teaching and the other 60% are not teaching,” Cuellar explained. “That’s exactly what we’re witnessing with law enforcement. So we’re seeing a lot of people coming in, and smugglers and migrants are getting word that they may come in on May 23. Meanwhile, Border Patrol is only functioning with 40% of its men and women ” “Females.”

The measure to prolong Title 42 has the support of the 58-member bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus. In the Senate, companion legislation has been proposed. The House Problem Solvers Caucus is supporting legislation to prolong Title 42, the latest hint of bipartisan opposition to the Biden administration’s intentions to abolish the public health directive in May.

The Biden administration said earlier this month that the order, which has been in effect since March 2020 to promptly evacuate the bulk of migrants met at the southern border due to the COVID-19 epidemic, will be lifted on May 23.

However, as worries rise that the already tremendous border crowding would worsen if the restriction is overturned, a number of centrist Democrats have joined Republicans in urging the administration to postpone its decision.

The 58-member caucus has approved legislation introduced by Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, that would prevent President Biden from withdrawing the order until the CDC has formally ended the COVID-19 public health emergency proclamation. All 58 members of the caucus will vote in favor of the bill on the House floor, according to caucus bylaws.

Within 30 days of the announcement ending the public health emergency, the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Department of Homeland Security and other impacted agencies, would be required to submit a report to Congress, along with a plan outlining how the administration will deal with the impending migrant surge.

If a plan is not presented within that time limit, Title 42 will be automatically postponed for another 30 days until a report is filed. Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H. are among the bill’s sponsors in the House.

It is accompanied by equivalent legislation presented earlier this month in the Senate. Senators Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. are among the bill’s sponsors, along with Republicans such as Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Many of those Democrats have already expressed their opposition to the lifting of the restriction.

Sen. Kelly told Fox News Digital last week, “I warned the administration about this months and months ago, and they still don’t have an acceptable strategy.”

“They claim to be working on a solution. My prediction is that by May 23, there will most likely be no acceptable plan in place, and if that is the case, I do not believe Title 42 should be lifted.” The bill comes as a number of Republican states are pursuing legal action to prevent the order from being lifted, and there are allegations that the White House is considering prolonging it. Meanwhile, almost 221,000 migrant interactions were recorded in March alone, with the figure anticipated to climb in April.