The Biden administration has appealed a federal court decision that blocked the use of Title 42—a controversial Trump-era policy allowing for the swift removal of migrants at the U.S./Mexico border.
The authority has been heavily criticized by public health experts and immigrant advocates and has largely barred asylum at the U.S./Mexico border.
While its origins were in the Trump administration, Title 42 has become a key tool for the Biden administration as it faces mass migration in the Western hemisphere.
Officials have been bracing for an influx of migrants when the authority lifts on Dec. 21. The Department of Homeland Security is projecting up to 14,000 migrants may attempt to cross the U.S. southern border per day when the policy is lifted.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Tuesday that the “tricky” immigration issue is one she hears a lot from voters.
“We [producers] don’t have enough people in our labor pool to draw from for our ag industries. And so, as I look to the future, I am hopeful that we can find reasonable ways of modernizing immigration to suit all levels of industry across the United States,” she says.
Securing the southern border is the first step in “modernizing” immigration, according to Ernst. But she’s not convinced these steps will play out well in congress.
“I think we senators have a battle on our hands, but we’ll see where is goes in the new congress,” Ernst says.
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