“Heal, Not Harm - Restore Asylum Now” Call-In Day
Did you know that the pandemic is still being used as justification for refusing, detaining, and expelling asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, months after most COVID-19 public health restrictions in the U.S. have been lifted?
Under the CDC’s Title 42 program, almost all asylum-seeking families and individuals are being denied their human and legal right to seek safety. The CDC has already acted to revoke Title 42 because it is not contributing to public health. Now, there are efforts in Congress to ensure that Title 42 continues to restrict access to asylum at the border.
Refugee Congress is joining the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) and #WelcomeWithDignity to host a Call-In Day on July 22, 2022. We need your help calling on Members of Congress to oppose any and all Title 42 and anti-asylum amendments or legislation.
Find contact information for your Members of Congress and use this call script to contact them.
Like most efforts historically to control cross-border migration, Title 42 does not deter those seeking safety in the U.S., but pushes them into more dangerous circumstances while trying to get here. The horrific tragedy of 53 lives lost while migrants were trapped in the back of a tractor trailer in San Antonio, TX, is only the most visible tip of the iceberg. Thousands of people stuck in dangerous border cities in Mexico have been kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and forced into labor, while others have died from lack of medical care.
Black asylum-seekers, especially Haitians, have been disproportionately impacted by Title 42. There is no way of tracking how many others have lost their lives after being forcibly expelled back to dangerous conditions in their countries of origin without screening for whether they feared for their lives if returned.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) has the capacity to process asylum-seekers in a safe and orderly manner at the border. We have seen how it is possible when the political will is there, such as when Ukrainians were exempted from Title 42.
Join us in taking action today!
