On Wednesday’s broadcast of “PBS NewsHour,” Catholic Diocese of El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz said that he has “been concerned for quite a while that it seems to have been a fairly well-kept secret whatever was being planned” for the end of Title 42 and “we really don’t quite know what to prepare for.”
“NewsHour” White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López asked, “Your church helps provide shelter for migrants that are seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. How is your diocese preparing for the end of Title 42?”
Seitz answered, “Well, we’re meeting with all of the people that are involved in this process, from the local [county] and city officials, to border enforcement agencies, to NGOs, and others. We’re really trying to come together with daily meetings to begin to address this constantly changing situation.”
Barrón-López then asked, “I talked to immigration lawyers and advocates today who said that the Biden administration just reached out to them about two days ago, reached out to organizations on the ground about how to plan for the lifting of Title 42. Do you feel as though you are receiving adequate guidance or assistance from federal authorities?”
Seitz responded, “We’ve been concerned for quite a while that it seems to have been a fairly well-kept secret whatever was being planned. And it certainly would have been helpful to know earlier. I do understand that a lot of things have been in the works. But it has left us feeling as though we really don’t quite know what to prepare for.”
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