WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has revised federal public health rules to allow the government to temporarily block lawful permanent residents from entering the United States if they recently traveled through countries tied to dangerous disease outbreaks, expanding the reach of Title 42-era emergency border authorities.
Under the interim final rule issued Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can now apply entry restrictions to green card holders under 42 CFR Part 71.40, which governs measures intended to prevent the spread of communicable diseases into the United States.
The immediate impact of the rule centers on the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa. Lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days are now barred from entering the United States while the restrictions remain in effect.
The change broadens authorities historically associated with emergency pandemic-era border controls by extending them to individuals who already hold legal permanent residency status in the United States.
Federal officials said the rule does not permanently revoke residency rights and instead grants the CDC discretionary authority to temporarily suspend entry during public health emergencies when permitted under federal law.
HHS argued the expanded authority is necessary during rapidly evolving outbreaks involving highly infectious diseases, particularly when public health systems and emergency-response resources face operational strain.
The agency also cited travel patterns among some lawful permanent residents with family or community ties abroad, stating that repeated travel to outbreak regions could increase exposure risk and raise the likelihood of disease importation into the United States.
The rule takes effect amid renewed federal focus on border-control authorities tied to communicable disease prevention following years of legal and political battles surrounding the use of Title 42 powers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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