Ending Title 42 Finally on the Horizon
Washington, DC — The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) welcomes the announcement from the Biden Administration that the use of Title 42, a public health law, to expel vulnerable migrants at our border will finally end on May 23, 2022.
Allen Orr, AILA President, noted, “The end of the cruel and anti-immigrant policy of using Title 42 to expel vulnerable asylum seekers under public health provisions is long overdue. The thousands upon thousands of migrants, from babies to grandmothers, who were illegally expelled before being allowed to have a meaningful chance to claim protection under our laws merit an acknowledgement that the U.S. got it wrong. The Biden Administration must recognize that Black migrants in particular were cruelly treated, and a shocking amount of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) time and resources were spent to expel them illegally, forcing them back to harmful situations. Congress and all Americans must ensure the end of the current use of Title 42 is just the beginning. Today, tomorrow, and every day going forward we must live our values as a welcoming nation, and not listen to those who wish to scapegoat immigrants for all manner of ills.”
Benjamin Johnson, AILA Executive Director, stated, “With this announcement, the first order of business must be the broad and expansive use of the exception process in order to ensure people with vulnerabilities will not be expelled during the wind down of Title 42. Next, it is imperative that sufficient resources be immediately allocated to the southern border to deliver an orderly and humane process to all individuals who present themselves at ports of entry or are encountered in between. This day has been far too long in coming. Let’s work together to ensure we do a better job living up to the promise of America in the future.”