Los Angeles, CA, The Trump Administration issued  Title 42 with the “justification”  that migrants seeking asylum at US borders would be turned away due to a serious danger of spreading  COVID- 19.  Over a year into the Biden Administration, former President Trump’s anti-immigrant policy continues to be maintained. This weekend, the Biden Administration announced its plans to partially curtail Title 42 to prevent unaccompanied children at U.S borders from continuing to be expelled.  The Los Angeles Times reports that there have been approximately 1.3 million expulsions of migrants at the border in the past year and a half, leaving individuals without any opportunities to request asylum or any other humanitarian protections 

“We welcome the Biden Administration’s decision to do away with some of the Title 42 restrictions that restrict migrants the right to seek asylum protections at our borders,” said Martha Arevalo, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). “While this change will now allow unaccompanied minors to get the protections they need, the Biden Administration must not continue to be complicit to the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies. We call on the Biden Administration to completely end Title 42 for all migrants and refugees seeking asylum.”

The rising surge of Ukrainian migrants arriving at the US border fleeing war at home has changed the hearts of many Americans and elected officials on how we advance policies to protect refugees. While these recent and unfortunate situations help us all learn to be just and empathetic to all refugees, we have observed the continued mistreatment of Haitian, Middle Eastern, African and Latin American refugees who have been refused their right to seek refuge and protection. The Biden Administration must act to protect the rights of all migrants and refugees, regardless of religion, education, skin color or economic status. 

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