Kelly Statement on Federal Court’s Decision on Title 42 

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly released the following statement regarding a federal court’s decision on Title 42, the public health border authority, from the Yuma border where today he met with border community leaders and leadership from U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection.

“For too long, Arizonans have paid the price for Washington’s failure to plan ahead and secure the border. Today’s decision does not change the fact that there is a crisis at the border and there must be a detailed plan that can be implemented before Title 42 is lifted. Arizonans deserve a secure, orderly, and humane border response and I will continue to hold the administration accountable to that,” said Senator Kelly.

On April 1, Kelly said that it was the “wrong decision” for the administration to announce the lifting of Title 42 without a plan and coordination in place. Kelly then introduced a bipartisan bill to require the administration to have a plan in place before lifting Title 42. The bill specifically delays the administration’s planned end to Title 42 for at least 60 days. Earlier this year, Kelly secured critical federal funding to help Arizona manage the current migrant crisis, improve border security, and keep Arizona communities safe, including additional funds for community organizations helping manage the border.

Since taking office, Kelly has continued to push the Biden administration for a plan to deal with the border crisis that does not place the burden on border communities. Kelly regularly hears from and meets with leaders from Arizona’s border communities to ensure that Washington is responsive to our border state’s unique needs and challenges. In keeping with his commitment to a secure and orderly border response, Kelly recently made his sixth visit to the Arizona-Mexico border to speak with and hear directly from border community leaders, as well as CBP leadership about the operational challenges created by increased border apprehensions.