(Washington)—A Louisiana federal judge’s decision today to block the Biden administration’s plans to phase out the racist Title 42 policy continues to punish asylum seekers and pushes an extremely dangerous anti-immigrant agenda.
“Title 42 has had a catastrophic effect on asylum seekers,” said Sameera Hafiz, Policy Director for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC). “More than 1.8 million migrants have been denied entry into the U.S. under the policy, forcing many back to the dangerous conditions they were escaping.”
“The U.S. opened its ports of entry to tourists and other travelers last year but asylum seekers, even those with proof of Covid-19 vaccination status, continue to be blocked and expelled,” Hafiz said. “This is proof that Title 42 was never about public health, but rather a racist double standard put in place by the Trump administration, and administered for months by the Biden administration, to keep migrants from Black and Brown countries out.”
“The Biden administration must do everything in its power to allow asylum seekers to enter the U.S., and it must work to be more proactive and creative in its efforts to defeat the anti-immigrant agenda,” Hafiz said.
“Border officials have the ability to employ measures recommended by public health experts to keep asylum seekers safe as they seek refuge in the U.S. There is no excuse for the continuation of Title 42, other than allowing the anti-immigrant playbook to continue,” Hafiz said.
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. Follow us at www.ilrc.org, and on Twitter and Instagram @the_ILRC.