Washington DC, United States.- The Biden administration plans to use Title 42 to expel Cuban, Nicaraguan and Haitian migrants stuck at the southwest border back to Mexico, while allowing some to enter the United States by air for humanitarian purposes, according to three US officials familiar with with the matter.
The icy diplomatic relations between the United States and the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have complicated deportations to those countries.
An increasing number of migrants from those nations have arrived at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum amid economic and political turmoil at home.
The new rules for Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians would build on an existing program for Venezuelans launched in October.
The program allows up to 24,000 Venezuelans outside the United States to apply to enter the country by air through “humanitarian parole” if they have US sponsors. Venezuelans arrested trying to cross the border are generally returned to Mexico.
Mexico has only accepted the removal of a few nationalities, mostly Mexicans and Central Americans, under Title 42. But after Mexico agreed to take Venezuelans back in October, their crossings dropped dramatically, with some giving up and returned home.
Two officials indicated that the policy change for Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans could come as soon as this week.
A third official said it could apply to the first two groups this week and to Nicaraguans at a later date. No final decisions have been made, a fourth US official told Reuters. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
Haiti has accepted deportees and migrants removed under Title 42, but lawmakers and advocates have criticized the Biden Administration for returning people while the country is going through a political and economic crisis.
