WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Beth Van Duyne (TX-24) today led 19 of her Texas House Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urging the State of Texas to file a lawsuit against the Biden Administration to uphold Title 42. Title 42 prioritizes the health and safety of the American people by maintaining immigration restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. border.

“We write to urge you to protect the American people from a crisis at our southern border, which was manufactured by the Biden Administration and has led to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants entering our nation,” the letter says. “These immigrants have not been tested for COVID-19 and pose an incredible threat to the health and safety of the American people. This threat was exacerbated by President Biden’s removal of Title 42 provisions during this global health crisis, which is a reckless way to score cheap political points at the expense of American health and safety.”

“As such, we, 20 members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, are asking you to help us stand up for the American people and file a lawsuit that will allow Title 42 to be firmly enforced until HHS can ensure the conditions listed in HR471 can be met and that it would be safe to rescind the emergency order,” they continued. “Texas and other border states are desperately trying to ensure that their economies are returning to normal, Americans are back to work and the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Texas continue to drop. We cannot allow these advances to be undermined by an unknown number of COVID-19 cases pouring across the southern border.”

On March 21, 2020, President Trump implemented 42 U.S.C. § 265 authority after analyzing the threat of COVID-19 in Mexico and Canada to prioritize the health of American citizens and reject entry of any individual unlawfully entering the country.

Co-signers of the letter include Reps. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Brian Babin (TX-36), Kevin Brady (TX-08), Michael C. Burgess M.D. (TX-26), John Carter (TX-31), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Michael McCaul (TX-10), Troy Nehls (TX-22), August Pfluger (TX-11), Chip Roy (TX-21), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Van Taylor (TX-03), Randy Weber (TX-14), and Roger Williams (TX-25). 

To read the full letter, click here.