Refugee Congress Welcomes the End of Title 42

For Immediate Release: April 2, 2022

WASHINGTON–Refugee Congress welcomes the announcement by the Biden Administration that it will end the controversial Title 42 policy. This is an important step toward building a fair and humane system for people fleeing danger.

Title 42 is a Trump-era policy that expels people who are seeking asylum at the U.S. border, sending them back to danger under the guise of public health need. Along with public health experts and human rights, immigrant rights and countless other advocates, Refugee Congress has strongly opposed this policy and called for its end. Earlier this year, 100 former refugees and asylees delivered a letter urging the Biden administration to discontinue the Title 42 and “Remain in Mexico” policies.

The Centers for Disease Control issued an order that it will terminate Title 42 by May 23. As the policy ends, we call for the Biden administration to immediately ensure the safety and dignity of people fleeing danger and work in close coordination with groups and communities who stand ready to welcome them. We are concerned that people seeking safety will continue to be expelled until May 23, especially as Title 42 has negatively impacted Latin American asylum-seekers and Black asylum-seekers, and will continue to do so until the time of this arbitrary deadline. While Refugee Congress welcomed this past week’s announcement that we will welcome 100,000 Ukrainians, and exempt them from Title 42 restrictions, we cannot arbitrarily subject some asylum-seekers to unsafe restrictions while exempting others. Seeking asylum is a human right, and people doing so should not be expelled back to danger.

“The end of Title 42 is very welcome news, and we applaud the Biden administration for taking this critical step towards removing barriers to asylum. However, we cannot use an arbitrary deadline as an opportunity to continue expelling asylum-seekers until that day comes. We strongly encourage the reversal of this policy to take place immediately. The U.S. is at a crossroads: We have an opportunity right now to make our values of compassion and welcome clear, and to not only restore our protection system, but rebuild it in a way that takes us past the systemic barriers that have disproportionately prevented Black asylum seekers from exercising their legal right to seek asylum. Let’s do better -- not tomorrow, not in a month. Let’s do better right now,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director of Refugee Congress. 

“As former asylees and refugees, demanding more is our duty, but voicing our appreciation is also essential to encourage more positive moves. Thank you, President Biden, for lifting the Title 42 policy,” said Farjam Behnam, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate.

“This is a welcome announcement because the decision to implement Title 42 was discriminatory and has particularly affected asylees from Haiti and Latin America unfairly,” said Clara Hart, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate. “We welcome our brothers and sisters who are seeking to escape from danger. We must respect that they are fleeing their homes due to fear of violence and persecution. This is the right thing to do on a humanitarian basis.”

Refugee Congress was founded by individuals who were welcomed through U.S. protection pathways and who have helped create strong, diverse and successful communities across the country. We must continue to keep these pathways strong and accessible. We welcome the announcement of the end of Title 42 as an important step toward building an asylum system that welcomes people seeking safety with dignity, and we call for further steps to ensure people can access safe refuge.

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Refugee Congress is a nonpartisan advocacy organization built and led by former refugees, asylum-seekers and other vulnerable migrants to promote the well-being, integration and dignity of all vulnerable migrants. With delegates across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we use our voices and experiences to inform and influence decision-makers on critical domestic and international issues that affect our communities.

MEDIA CONTACT: (202) 905-6238, media@refugeecongress.org