Texas Gov. Greg Abbott predicts ‘chaos’ after expiration of Title 42

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday predicted there would be “total chaos” at the border if the controversial immigration policy Title 42 is lifted on Wednesday as planned.

“If the courts do not intervene and put a halt to the removal of Title 42, it’s going to be total chaos,” he told ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

A federal judge last month ordered the Biden administration to halt the use of Title 42, giving officials five weeks to phase out use of the policy. The law will end on Wednesday, much to the delight of immigration advocates who say the policy was cruel and inhumane.

Title 42 was first implemented under the Trump administration at the peak is the pandemic. It allows border officials to send migrants back to their country of origin in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Abbott argued that the policy is still needed as COVID-19 remains an ongoing threat.

“If the courts do not intervene and put a halt to the removal of Title 42, it’s going to be total chaos,” Abbott said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week”.

“Whether it’s COVID or some other issue, when you have people coming across the globe without knowing at all what their health status is, that almost by definition is a public health risk,” Abbott said.

“There’s every reason to keep that in place,” he said, adding: “But some do come across with COVID, and no one knows exactly who comes across with COVID. These people are not tested when they come across the border. Who knows how many people have COVID … The answer is nobody knows because nobody is testing.”

Abbott said he supported those coming to the country with valid asylum cases but said that requests from authentic asylum seekers are “pushed further and further” due to the large amount of illegal migrants issuing such requests.