FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The CDC announced that it would be ending Title 42 on May 23rd. Justice Action Center (JAC) founder and director Karen Tumlin issued the following statement:
“It is alarming that Democratic and Republican officials alike are attempting to block the wind-down of Trump’s horrific Title 42 policy, claiming the termination would cause chaos at the border. In reality, Title 42 has only increased repeat border crossings, closed ports of entry, and removed any form of due process at the border—sending people fleeing for their lives back to danger. Any obstruction to the wind-down of this disastrous policy is hypocritical and misinformed: the states that are claiming Title 42 is still necessary to stem the spread of the pandemic are the same states that have refused to employ COVID-19 public health measures. Further, these states are litigating against the Title 42 wind down, making procedural arguments similar to those in Biden v. Texas, the Remain in Mexico case currently before the Supreme Court.
“From Remain in Mexico to Title 42, the afterlife of Stephen Miller and Trump’s white nationalist agenda continues to threaten the lives of asylum seekers and the supposed American value of offering people fleeing persecution a safe haven. As the United States’ swift response to the needs of Ukrainian refugees demonstrates, we can in fact welcome asylum seekers without subjecting them to further suffering and instead implement fair, orderly, and humane processes. The disproportionate harm that policies like Title 42 and Remain in Mexico inflict on Black, Brown and Indigenous migrants is well documented, and it’s high time we leave these inhumane policies behind and end the demonization of all people seeking safety.”
Join us in DC next Tuesday, April 26th for the #SafeNotStranded rally in front of the Supreme Court to push for the immigration system that we know is possible.