Supreme Court keeps immigration rule for now

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts blocked an order to lift Title 42, the public health measure that gave agents the power to turn back migrants at the border during the pandemic. A coalition of states appealed to the Supreme Court to keep the measure in place. On Monday, Roberts ordered the U.S. government to respond to the states’ appeal by 5 p.m. Tuesday, just hours before the policy is set to expire.

What could happen when Title 42 ends? In the city of El Paso, Texas, Mayor Oscar Leeser said Border Patrol and shelters in Mexico predict that up to 20,000 migrants might be waiting to cross the border. The Red Cross has brought 10,000 cots to help with the potential increase, he said. Other border crossing hotspots are preparing for an influx of illegal immigrants, many of whom are expected to apply for asylum after they arrive.

Dig deeper: Listen to Bonnie Pritchett’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about ministries that receive newly arrived border crossers.