EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Those who are in favor of Title 42 expiring and those who are against it, are sharing their thoughts as the clock winds down on the Covid-era policy.

The League of United Latin American Citizens held a press conference on May 11, to call for funding from the Biden administration and Congress. President Domingo Garcia expressed that the longer the federal government waits to provide aid, the more dire the situation becomes.

“You got people that need shelter, that need transportation, that need food and medical attention and many of these cities, many of the non-profits like catholic charities and LULAC, we don’t have the capacity to deal with 10-15,000 people. We need assistance from the federal government,” said Garcia.

However, former candidate for U.S. Congress District 16 in El Paso, Texas, Irene Armendariz-Jackson who has been critical of the Biden Administration and opposed the lifting of Title 42, believes that expiring the policy puts Americans in danger.

She said that Title 42 was there to keep citizens safe and allowed Border Patrol to expel people back across the border who were crossing illegally. Now according to her, the future of border cities like El Paso is left uncertain.

“Enough is enough. American citizens and legal residents demand safety and that the Biden Administration and the representative stop bringing money for the illegals that we the American taxpayers are the ones are getting the money in return,” Armendariz-Jackson said.

Even with the large number of migrants that are expected to cross the border once Title 42 is lifted, Garcia says that the U.S. history of hospitality must be extended.

“These people are going to come as long as their lives are at risk, and their families are at risk and therefore we need to deal with them in a humanitarian way.”

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