Borders 'not open': Trump-era border curbs end | US reverts to Title 8 with new, stringent rules

President Joe Biden's administration is lifting Title 42, the strict protocol implemented by the previous president Donald Trump. Title 42 denied entry to migrants and expelled asylum seekers based on the covid pandemic emergency. Title 42 allowed border agents to rapidly turn back many migrants to Mexico without a chance to ask for asylum. Joe Biden, a Democrat, took office in 2021, vowing to reverse Trump's approach. However, he kept Title 42 in place and expanded it. US immigration processing now reverts to a pre-existing system, known as Title 8, but with new, much more stringent rules for asylum seekers. The Biden administration is now turning away anyone seeking asylum who didn’t first seek protection in a country they travelled through, or first applied online. US officials plan to open 100 regional migration hubs across the western hemisphere, where people can seek placement in another country, including Canada and Spain. There will be hubs in Colombia and Guatemala too.