GOP lawmaker argues Title 42 should be extended because of fentanyl crisis

Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) floated the possibility of using the fentanyl crisis as justification to extend Title 42.

Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allows for the rapid expulsion of illegal immigrants without asylum hearings, is set to expire Thursday, setting the stage for an expected surge at the border. Mills slammed the Biden administration for its handling of the situation amid fears of a crisis after Title 42 ends.

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“Title 42 was put in place as a public health emergency with regards to the pandemic. I would argue that today, given the tens of thousands of Americans that are losing their life to the fentanyl crisis — that in itself should be an excuse to keep Title 42 in place,” Mills told the Washington Examiner.

Roughly 108,000 deaths during the 12-month period ending in August 2022 were linked to overdoses from illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mills noted that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 50 times stronger than heroin, has frequently been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. He suggested a rapid expulsion protocol such as in Title 42 should remain in place until the current surge abates and the “border issue is resolved.”

“We’re not talking about just the fentanyl crisis alone, which is killing tens of thousands. We’re also talking about some who have been deported on multiple occasions, who are committing horrendous crimes, and [are] actually endangering American citizens,” he added, referring to violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

To Mills, the long-term solutions entail many of the policies former President Donald Trump pursued, such as the “Remain in Mexico” policy and the construction of a border wall. Republicans are planning to bring up legislation, H.R. 2, also known as the Secure the Border Act of 2023, for a vote Thursday to revive many of those policies, Axios reported.

Already a handful of Republicans, such as Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), have voiced apprehension about the bill. They’ve raised concerns about the lack of action against the drug cartels and its electronic verification of work authorization provisions respectively. Lawmakers are still tinkering with the bill’s language.

“I am very much in favor of having an immigration policy in place that addresses our border crisis,” Mills said. “Title 42 only exacerbates the situation. And when that goes away, that dam is broken, and the flood waters are going to be massive surges of illegal migrants that we don’t have the ability to house or to process.”

Amid heightened concerns about the border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sought to allay public fears, underscoring that the Biden administration has been preparing for Title 42’s demise for over a “year and a half.”

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Mills said he believes Mayorkas should either be removed from office or resign. He previously co-sponsored legislation to impeach him.

“These are huge, not just national security issues, but humanitarian and health crises. And the fact is that they continue between Secretary Mayorkas and the ‘borders czar,’ our Vice President Kamala Harris, to do nothing, and in fact, do the opposite of nothing by actually weakening our border system,” he said. “When you take command, you’re responsible for that command. It doesn’t matter who’s appointed you to it.”