In March 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration established the “Title 42” policy, invoking a provision found in Title 42 of the United States Code for public health emergencies. The policy barred noncitizens seeking asylum in the United States, no matter how strong their entitlement to asylum. High-ranking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) objected that there was no public health justification for this extreme step,...
