The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request by Republican-controlled states to delay the end of the Title 42 border expulsions, pausing an order that declared the Trump-era policy illegal.
This eleventh-hour move comes as anticipation grew regarding the end of Title 42 on Wednesday. Nineteen Republican-led states asked the court to keep in place the border policy that allows the immediate expulsion of migrants over health concerns.
Title 42 is not an immigration policy. However, Republican-led states have been trying to keep it in place because it has been effective in curbing immigration, especially at the southern border.
These 19 states were denied a request by a federal appeals court on Friday and asked the Court to temporarily block a ruling from a lower court that found that the implementation of the policy violates the law.
Late Friday night, the D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the states, holding that they had waited an “inordinate” amount of time before getting involved.
The City of San Antonio said in a statement that it was ready for any migrants that arrived in the Alamo City.
“Mayor Nirenberg and [Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. secretary of Homeland Security,] were in direct contact regarding this specific issue over the weekend and maintain regular communications as it relates to our local Migrant Resource Center,” the statement explained.
It added: “The Department of Homeland Security has been a faithful partner with the City of San Antonio, Catholic Charities and our other community organizations in fully reimbursing every amount we spend in support of legal migrants seeking asylum in the United States.”