For Immediate Release
May 20, 2022
Contacts:
Arianna Rosales, National Immigration Project, arianna@nipnlg.org
Washington, DC - A federal judge in Louisiana issued a ruling today that halts the CDC and Biden administration's move to end Title 42 on Monday, May 23. In Arizona, et al. v. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, et al. (Arizona v. CDC), Arizona, Texas, and a group of states - most of which have no international border - sought and were granted a nationwide injunction to prevent the termination of the border policy that has barred migrants from seeking asylum for more than two years.
Meanwhile, Congress has failed to take any meaningful steps to end Title 42 with Senate Republicans and a handful of Democrats also pushing for the continuation of the cruel policy under the pretext of COVID-19, despite overwhelming evidence that the policy does nothing to protect public health.
In response to the ruling, Sirine Shebaya, Executive Director of the National Immigration Project, said:
For more than two years, Title 42 has effectively shut down our asylum system and disproportionately impacted Black, Latinx, and Indigenous asylum seekers. To date, the callous policy has resulted in the mass expulsion of nearly 2 million people who have been sent back to face tremendous dangers and been denied their legal right to seek asylum.
Already we have seen that this country has the capacity and compassion to help those fleeing violence. Earlier this year, we watched the Biden administration designate TPS for Ukraine in just 8 days with bipartisan support. The same compassion and swift action should be applied to all people fleeing violence and persecution, no matter where they come from or the color of their skin.
Make no mistake: This Trump-era policy, which the Biden administration kept in place for over a year after assuming office, is rooted in racism and xenophobia and has never had any basis in public health.
By denying people their right to seek asylum, Title 42 will continue to subject thousands of people to harm every day that it remains in place. Nobody should be complicit in the violence and harm that this policy has produced - not the courts, and not our representatives in Congress. And a group of anti-immigrant states should certainly not be dictating our national border and immigration policy.
Despite this devastating court decision, the fight to restore our asylum system is not over. We will continue working relentlessly with our partners to bring an end to this unlawful policy and welcome everyone with dignity.
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The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG) is a national non-profit organization that provides technical assistance and support to community-based immigrant organizations, legal practitioners, and all advocates seeking and working to advance the rights of noncitizens. NIPNLG utilizes impact litigation, advocacy, and public education to pursue its mission. Learn more at nipnlg.org. Follow NIPNLG on social media: National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild on Facebook, @NIPNLG on Twitter and Instagram.