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Title 42 on trial in Lafayette in multi-state suit against CDC, others

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Title 42, a pandemic-era immigration policy, will be on trial in federal court in Lafayette tomorrow.

The states of Louisiana, Arizona, and Missouri are taking civil action against the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other governmental bodies over the Biden Administration’s planned revocation of Title 42.


Title 42 is a public health border restriction order enacted by former President Trump in March of 2020 designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 potentially caused by “mass uncontrolled cross-border movement,” CBS reported. The order also prevents migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. Title 42 is currently planned to be lifted on May 23.

The suit says that Title 42 should stay in place until there’s “comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform that commits to securing our borders and providing a pathway to citizenship for qualified immigrants.”

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry leads the case, which will be on trial in front of Judge Robert Summerhays in federal court in Lafayette on Friday, May 13.

Landry and Republican politicians have previously supported ending other pandemic-related restrictions, like the lifting of a mask mandate for the city of New Orleans, when Landry and more than 100 other plaintiffs filed suit against the city claiming that the mandate was unconstitutional, but oppose the end of Title 42.

A motion hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 13 at the Federal Courthouse in Lafayette. Read the full suit below.