NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt admits that the Title 42 pandemic mechanism to control immigration isn't the preferred way to handle the issue.
"The concept isn't hard," Schmidt said. "You want to have robust immigration into the country, we're a nation of immigrants. We need labor, especially in many parts of Kansas. We need people. But, you want to control who is coming in and make policy choices on how many people can come, when they can come, what purposes they can come, who can come, as opposed to flinging open the door and saying whoever gets across the border is allowed in."
The public health reasons for keeping the border secure are what conservative state attorneys general argue is working for now and reducing what would otherwise be a flood of immigrants.
"We lost in the lower courts," Schmidt said. "We have temporarily won in the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week when Chief Justice Roberts entered an administrative stay and said, whoa, everybody just pause. Keep Title 42 in place, keep using the baling wire to hold the door closed while we sort out the legalities here. That's the current state of play."
The program was supposed to end Dec. 21, but now it's unclear what will happen. According to The Hill, the government has asked that the policy remain in place until Dec. 27 if Roberts rules before Friday, or give the administration two business days to prepare if the ruling comes after that time.