RCUSA: Title 42 Must End

Washington, DC – On Friday, Judge Summerhays in Louisiana ruled that Title 42 would remain in place. The Title 42 policy was initiated by then-president Trump under the guise of public health concerns, and allowed the government to turn away individuals seeking to cross the border without due process, violating the rights of thousands to seek asylum in the United States. Over 1.7 million migrants and asylum seekers have been returned to dangerous conditions in border camps or their home countries. The Centers for Disease Control had previously determined that it would end the Title 42 order on May 23.

“Yesterday should have marked a shift toward relief for thousands of individuals and families stranded along the US-Mexico border,” said RCUSA Executive Director John Slocum. “Instead we are witnessing the continuation of a discriminatory policy which harms asylum seekers and migrants. We urge the Biden administration to not only swiftly appeal this ruling, but to commit to rebuilding the US asylum program. We ask Congress to oppose any attempts to further codify Title 42 legislatively.”

Media Contact: Sarah Seniuk, sseniuk@rcusa.org

RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.

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