Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs appoints Title 42 coordinator as policy expires
May 12, 2023, 10:00 AM
In an aerial view, immigrants seeking asylum in the United States wait in line near the border fence to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into Arizona from Mexico on May 11, 2023 in Yuma, Arizona.(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Governor Katie Hobbs appointed an Arizona Title 42 coordinator who will serve as the executive office’s external point of contact for all things related to the matter.
The appointment of Billy Kovacs, a Democrat, was announced Thursday evening, as Title 42 was set to end.
He will serve on special assignment until June 30, according to a press release.
“As a continuation of my dedication to addressing the impending challenged Arizona will face with the end of Title 42, I am pleased to announced Billy Kovacs will serve as Arizona’s Title 42 Coordinator,” Hobbs said in the release.
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“My. Kovacs has a long history of public service, and I have personally witnessed his ability to leverage federal relationships to put Arizona in a position of strength and success. I have no doubt he will continue to do that in this new role.”
Kovacs currently serves as Hobbs’ federal affairs director.
On Monday, Hobbs outlined the state’s five-point plan for Title 42’s end.
Title 42 refers to COVID-era restrictions on asylum that allowed the U.S. to quickly turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border for the past three years.
Under Title 42, migrants were returned over the border and denied the right to seek asylum. U.S. officials turned away migrants more than 2.8 million times.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
