Federal judge plans to keep Title 42 restrictions in place

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - A federal judge says he will grant a motion to block the Biden Administration from lifting Title 42 restrictions at the border.

That’s a response to a 21-state lawsuit led by Arizona, Missouri and Louisiana.

Title 42 was put in place in March 2020 as an emergency pandemic-related restriction that allowed both the Trump and Biden Administrations to quickly expel migrants.

States sued after the white house announced plans to to lift the restrictions on May 23.

The Biden Adminstation has acknowledged that ending Title 42 could trigger another migrant surge that tops recent records.

Critics and even some of the presidents allies have said lifting Title 42 without a plan in place will be a disaster.

Gov. Doug Ducey says the judge is making the right decision.

“Title 42 is one of the last measures in place that helps keep our communities safe and allows our border agents to do their jobs. We need action from the Biden administration to secure our border now,” Ducey wrote in a tweet on Monday.