Migrants Pass Through Gate 42 at El Paso Border Wall After Biden Administration Ends Title 42 Policy, Despite ACLU Lawsuit Challenging New Asylum Restriction

A group of migrants passed through Gate 42 at the border wall in El Paso, Texas, just before 11:30 p.m. local time Thursday, after the Biden administration officially ended the Title 42 policy. Title 42, which mirrors Trump-era rules, disqualifies migrants who cross the southern border without authorization.

Advocates for migrants filed a lawsuit late Thursday in federal court challenging a new Biden administration restriction on asylum that officials say will deter unlawful crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asked the federal district court in San Francisco to block the rule, saying the policy, which took effect Friday, violates U.S. asylum law.

Local pastor, Father Arturo Bañuelas, was present at the border wall to support the migrants as they passed through Gate 42. He said he was there to show solidarity with the migrants and to ensure that their rights were respected.

The migrants were escorted into a white school bus in small groups. They walked in a single file carrying nothing on them, some looking down. The bus was flanked by members of the National Guard and the Border Patrol. Shortly after, another group boarded a second bus.

The Biden administration has stated that the new asylum rule is intended to deter illegal border crossings, while also allowing for the processing of asylum claims in a safe and orderly manner. The administration has also said that the rule will help ensure that the U.S. is able to provide protection to those who are in need of it.