HIAS Renews Call to End Title 42 After Report Claims Administration is Seeking its Expansion

SILVER SPRING, Md. – HIAS is expressing deep disappointment following a new Reuters report that claims the Biden administration is quietly pressing Mexico to accept asylum seekers from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela expelled from the U.S. under the World War II-era emergency public health law Title 42.

“President Biden has been vocal about wanting to end Title 42, and we urge the administration to follow through,” said Naomi Steinberg, HIAS’ Vice President for U.S. Policy and Advocacy. “Title 42 has no public health rationale and has put many asylum seekers, including children, at great risk. We don’t need more barriers to people seeking safety; we need a fully functioning and humane asylum system.”

The Trump administration invoked Title 42 in March 2020, allowing Customs and Border Protection to block people from seeking safety in the U.S. Since then, there have been about 2 million expulsions of asylum seekers under both administrations.

“We know that those seeking protection at our southern border can be processed safely, which is why HIAS advocates for sufficient staffing, resources, and coordination with other organizations working on both sides of the border to ensure due process and equitable treatment,” Steinberg said.

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