Immigrant ARC’S Statement on Title 42
New York, NY; December 21, 2022 - Immigrant ARC is disappointed at the decision by the Supreme Court to prolong Title 42 border closures, a holdover from the Trump Administration’s efforts to expel asylum seekers from the United States by exploiting public health rules during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The ruling applied to both families and single adults.
The Biden administration has continued its use, in the process evading the due process and refugee protection provisions of U.S. immigration and international law. In November, however, a federal court vacated Title 42 for violating U.S. law and scheduled it to end on December 21, 2022.
In a new development in recent days, the U.S. Supreme Court paused the end of Title 42. Immigrant ARC and our fellow advocates and member organizations denounce this injunction from the Supreme Court, while demanding that Congress and President Biden expand additional protections for asylum seekers.
New York has always been a primary destination for those coming to the United States (we saw this firsthand this past summer) and we know that the ultimate ruling will affect how our City and State must respond. In recent days, New York City Mayor Adams has said that the city is considering reopening Randall's Island tent city for migrants given Title 42’s uncertain future.
Immigrant ARC Executive Director Camille Mackler says, “Title 42 was never anything more than a pretext, using a public health situation to further an anti-immigrant agenda by the previous Administration. It is unconscionable that it has been allowed to continue on for so long , and we condemn its use. Seeking asylum is a legal right that the United States is obligated to uphold, and we know, from our own experiences and from reports from advocates at the border, that New York remains a top destination. We also know, from this past summer and all the other times that the border was brought to New York, that New Yorkers are ready to welcome and to show that it is possible to treat those who come here asking for help with dignity and humanity. We, along with our member organizations, stand ready to show that spirit yet again.”
###
Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.
CONTACT: press@immigrantarc.org.
