FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2023
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
IRAP WELCOMES END OF TITLE 42, OPPOSES NEW RESTRICTIONS
(New York, NY) – Tonight at midnight, the use of the arcane public health law known as Title 42 to expel asylum seekers before they get the chance to present their claims in the United States will finally end. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) has long opposed the policy, which denied hundreds of thousands of people their right to seek asylum and forced them back into dangerous conditions in northern Mexico.
However, instead of implementing humane policies at the border, the Biden administration will replace Title 42 expulsions with a suite of draconian immigration restrictions intended to continue turning away the majority of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. These policies include forcing people to first seek asylum in Mexico or other countries they travel through on the way to the United States, speeding up deportation proceedings with limited judicial oversight, and requiring the use of the CBP One app to access ports of entry.
IRAP strongly opposes all policies aimed at restricting the ability of migrants to access their legal right to seek safety in the United States.
IRAP U.S. Legal Director, Laurie Ball Cooper, said:
“Title 42 has never been about protecting public health. It was the brainchild of Stephen Miller for the sole purpose of restricting immigration and should have been vacated on day one of the Biden administration. After years of deadly consequences, the end of Title 42 expulsions should be a win for the rule of law and for human rights. However, this day is tainted by the fact that the Biden administration is replacing Title 42 with a near-total asylum ban at the border. Instead of following Trump’s playbook, the Biden administration should reject the dehumanizing rhetoric that treats people seeking safety at the border as a threat and restore a humane and accessible asylum system.”
Additional Background
- Read IRAP’s amicus brief opposing Title 42: HERE
- Read IRAP’s response to the administration’s asylum ban: HERE
- Read IRAP’s response to the establishment of refugee processing centers in Latin America: HERE
- Read America’s Voice’s primer about reporting on the end of Title 42: HERE
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