21 MAR 2022
Immigration Hub: TITLE 42 MUST GO NOW
WASHINGTON, DC - Last week, the Biden administration announced a Title 42 exemption for Ukrainian migrants seeking asylum at ports of entry as it reportedly considers new programs to allow displaced Ukrainians to apply for asylum in the United States. The latest developments come as advocates remember the second anniversary of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that is still utilized today to deny families and individuals the right to apply for asylum, disproportionately impacting Haitian and Black migrants fleeing dangerous conditions.
Title 42 has had devastating effects on children and families. A report released by Human Rights First recorded nearly 10,000 kidnappings, assaults, rape and other attacks against migrants stranded in Mexico because of the Title 42 U.S. border policy since the start of the Biden administration. The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) also found that over 90% of those expelled under Title 42 are from Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador – countries that are all facing the impacts of violent political conflicts and natural disasters.
Sergio Gonzales, the Immigration Hub’s Executive Director, released the following statement:
“How can the Biden administration on the one hand extend its open arms to Ukrainian refugees and on the other turn its back to Haitian, Black and brown asylum seekers? We very much support the administration using every tool in its immigration toolbox to welcome Ukrainians fleeing devastation at home, but this is not the way to do it. Instead, the administration should do what health experts, children’s groups and human rights advocates have been calling for and end Title 42 right now, and ensure every asylum seeker, regardless of their color, can be treated fairly at our border.
“There is no justification to continue Title 42. Keeping this policy in place is not being driven by science but by a serious miscalculation that doing so is good politics. Nothing could be further from the truth. The American people want the President to deliver on a modern immigration system that treats people with dignity. President Biden campaigned on a promise to keep families together and restore both our asylum and legal immigration system. Title 42 is a policy that undermines the Biden administration’s plan by denying a fair process to asylum seekers.
“The United States is capable and resourced to manage migration and implement policies that allow people, whether they’re searching for refuge away from a war-torn country or seeking protection from torture and rape, to claim asylum. This is a challenge that we can tackle with compassion and capacity.
“President Biden’s legacy should not be stained with Title 42. Revoking this cruel policy would be a major accomplishment and important milestone in this administration’s commitment to inclusivity, humanitarianism and family.”
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.