WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s first monthly status report on steps they have taken to fulfill the Northern Texas district court’s order to enforce and implement the “Remain in Mexico” policy “in good faith.” The statement also addresses the District of Columbia court’s ruling granting the motion to stop the Biden administration’s application of Title 42 to families:

“It’s imperative that the Biden Administration immediately use its authority to reissue a new memo to end the illegal and cruel Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) once and for all. This has not yet happened yet—and needs to, immediately. There is no reason, legal or otherwise, to reinstate this cruel policy. In the meantime, they must also work expeditiously to rebuild pathways for legal immigration including a refugee system, and family and employment-based immigration programs. We also urge the Administration to bring Haitian deportation flights to a halt and grant humanitarian parole to those Haitians at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Additionally we continue to believe the Biden Administration should have ended the use of Title 42 months ago for all people, but urge them to adhere to the District of Columbia court’s ruling and go beyond it by shutting down Title 42 altogether and finally allow people to lawfully seek humanitarian protections at the border to access the asylum system. Today’s court ruling on Title 42 is stayed for 14 days before taking effect, but if it goes into effect it would be welcomed. The Biden administration, however, should make clear that it will comply with the court order and will not seek a further stay or appeal.”

Background

Last month, FWD.us issued a new report released with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) titled Pushing Back Protection: How Offshoring and Externalization Imperil the Right to Asylum, which outlined how affluent nations like the United States, European Union Member States, and Australia prevent asylum seekers and migrants from reaching their shores. The report found that by offshoring asylum obligations and externalizing enforcement actions, these nations have denied thousands of asylum seekers their legal rights. The harsh practices certain nations have used to keep vulnerable people away from their borders have resulted in unimaginable harm, including sexual violence, torture, and death. Offshoring and externalization tactics, such as the MPP policies instituted by the Trump Administration, have also driven asylum seekers to take more dangerous routes – often to another nation’s border where they face similarly cruel and ineffective measures.