Congresswoman Jayapal, SEIU President, and National Leaders Ramp Up Pressure to End Title 42

Washington – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus joined leaders of SEIU, NILC, and Human Rights First to mark the day that should have been the end of the anti-refugee, anti-Black, and anti-LGBTQ policy known as Title 42. A recent court injunction has barred the end of the policy, and Congress is still expected to vote on amendments to a COVID relief bill that would go even further by effectively ending asylum indefinitely. Joined by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, national leaders called for the decisive end of this cruel Trump-era policy and reiterate the need for a fair and humane asylum system that centers the dignity of all people.

“Title 42 is a racist, xenophobic relic of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda. Friday’s decision by a federal judge to keep the policy in place was wrong, driven by politics and not facts. I applaud the DOJ for already signaling it will move to appeal this ruling,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “As Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I’m proud to stand side by side with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in opposing any amendments and any legislation that would reinstate Title 42. It is past time to stop using immigrants as political footballs and do what we must – pass humane immigration reform.”

“Judge Summerhays’ decision to keep Title 42 in place and continue to turn away people seeking refuge at our border is an affront to our core values as Americans and to our history as a beacon for the oppressed,” said Mary Kay Henry, International President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In light of this terrible decision, my message today could not be simpler, nor could it be more urgent: Working people demand a government that works for all expect Congress and the President to stand with immigrants and refugees and use every power at their disposal to support humane policies at the border and a path to citizenship.”

“The Trump administration weaponized Title 42 to block people from exercising their fundamental right to seek asylum,” said Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). “This cruel policy never had a basis in public health, and the Biden administration made the correct, if overdue, decision to end it. We urge the administration to vigorously defend ending Title 42 expulsions against those who would wish to cement this horrific Trump policy into law. Independent of what the courts decide, Congress must reject any legislation that would indefinitely block access to the legal right to seek asylum in the United States.”

“The use of Title 42 not only leads to more repeat border crossings and inflated border-crossing statistics, it allows the United States to evade its own immigration and refugee laws. The Biden administration’s decision to end Title 42 was a crucial step in returning the United States to an asylum system that meets American law and its treaty obligations. It is encouraging that the Justice Department quickly filed an appeal to the Louisiana court’s ruling, which extends the use of a policy, ostensibly based on public health, that public health experts have concluded is not needed. Now it is critical that the administration take all necessary steps to defend the CDC’s decision to end the use of Title 42,” said Michael Breen, President and CEO of Human Rights First.

A recording of the call is available here.

The Welcome with Dignity Campaign is composed of more than 100 national and regional organizations committed to transforming the way the United States receives and protects people forced to flee their homes to ensure they are treated humanely and fairly. To learn more and join our campaign visit: welcomewithdignity.org

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