Imperial County looks beyond Title 42

City of Calexico was ready for Title 42 to end - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Leaders across the Imperial Valley are divided over the status of Title 42 as it was set to expire on May 23, some are ready to move forward, while others think it's too soon.

The public health ruling that was issued in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic was set to expire Monday, however, a judge blocked the ruling.

Mayor Pro Tem Camilo Garcia of Calexico says the city was planning to rebuild.

"As a local city and the first city that welcomes our visitors, we would have been planning for this, I would love to tell you we would have been ready to receive an influx of individuals but I can't really tell you the unknown," he said.

Garcia says if Title 42 were to have ended Monday, he feels confident the surrounding cities would have been able to address the needs of the border.