Federal appellate court allows Biden administration to expel migrant families under public health order

Migrants expelled under Title 42
(Image credit: Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images)

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., sided with the Biden administration on Thursday and halted a lower court's decision that the Department of Homeland Security can't expel migrant families using a public health order called Title 42. The Trump administration had invoked Title 42 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to remove migrants from the U.S., ostensibly to prevent spread of the coronavirus. President Biden exempted unaccompanied minors from Title 42 but kept the order in place.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan had delayed his order until Thursday to give the government time to appeal. The appellate court's stay means Title 42 will likely remain in effect for months.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.