CDC extends use of Title 42 to expel migrants due to COVID-19

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The Biden administration has decided to maintain a Trump-era policy to expel migrants entering the United States to limit the spread of COVID-19 after a review of the practice.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund told CNN the U.S. government will continue to enforce Title 42, which has been used to expel more than 1 million migrants since the beginning of the pandemic.

"The current reassessment examined the present impact of the pandemic throughout the United States and at the U.S. borders, taking special note of the surge in cases and hospitalizations since December due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant," she said.

"CDC continues to emphasize the need for testing, vaccination and other mitigation measures at border facilities beyond the use of the order."

The Title 42 policy was enacted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 with the stated purpose of preventing those who cross the border illegally from potentially spreading the novel coronavirus. Unaccompanied minors are not expelled under Title 42 after a change in policy in February 2021.

The CDC, under President Joe Biden, extended the policy in August with plans to review it ever 60 days. A CDC representative told CBS News the agency made the decision to keep Title 42 in place after a 60-day assessment due this week.