Strict new rules come into force at US-Mexico border as Title 42 expires | First Thing

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Good morning.

The US has ended Covid-19 border restrictions that blocked many migrants at the border with Mexico, immediately replacing the so-called Title 42 restrictions with sweeping new asylum rules meant to deter illegal crossings.

What is Title 42? In March 2020, under Donald Trump, the CDC issued an order limiting migration into the US, saying it was necessary to reduce the spread of Covid. The order made use of little-used laws dating back more than a century that authorized border officials to immediately remove migrants, including people seeking asylum, overriding their normal rights. Migrant and human rights advocates condemned Title 42 as a ploy to stop immigration. The Biden administration said it wanted to end Title 42 – but in fact tightened restrictions further.

What’s next for migrants to the US? Starting on 12 May, asylum seekers will be allowed to request asylum again at the border and will be interviewed by immigration officers. Those who are found to have a “credible fear” of being persecuted in their home countries can stay in the US and go through the immigration court system until a final determination is made. That can take years.

What else has happened since? Writer E Jean Carroll is considering suing Donald Trump for defamation again after the former US president made disparaging remarks about her during a televised CNN town hall a day after he was found liable in a civil case for sexually assaulting her.

What has CNN said about the town hall? Addressing staff anger over the decision to host the New Hampshire event, the CNN chief executive, Chris Licht, saluted what he called a “masterful performance” by Collins, who attempted to cope with Trump’s lies and abusive comments in front of a raucous Republican audience. On an internal call, Licht reportedly told staffers: “You do not have to like the former president’s answers, but you can’t say that we didn’t get them. Kaitlan pressed him again and again and made news … Made a lot of news, [and] that is our job.”