The mayor of one of the largest border cities in Texas sent a letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to reconsider keeping the Title 42 policies set to end on May 23. The request by the Texas politician comes as the U.S. sees a rise in the coronavirus BA.2 variant.
This week, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos sent a letter to Biden stating that the end of Title 42 would have a dramatic effect on his city. “Although our community is giving, well prepared and proactive, no amount of preparation will allow for a local government such as the City of McAllen to respond to the dramatic rise in undocumented migration that is anticipated,” Villalobos wrote.
Villalobos is the same politician who published a video warning of the exponential increase in illegal migration that would affect his community once Title 42 was removed.
Title 42 was implemented in March 2020 as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, and while conditions have improved, the virus continues to pose a threat with new data showing a spike in infections due to the BA.2 variant.
In the letter, Villalobos quoted CBP statistics showing that until January 1, 2022, 12.3 percent of the migrants released into McAllen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection tested positive for coronavirus, however in the last 12 weeks, that number rose to 13.6 percent. The mayor stated his region has been harshly affected by coronavirus with Hidalgo County being the 6th deadliest in Texas and seventh with the most cases.
“I implore you to prioritize the health and safety of my community, Texans, and all Americans and to reconsider the administration’s plan to lift Title 42,” Villalobos said.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.