Yesterday, a federal court of appeals issued a ruling allowing the Biden Administration to continue migrant expulsions at the border under Title 42. Last month, a lower court ruled the use of Title 42 unconstitutional and illegal, and set a deadline of October 1 to end the policy, but the Biden Administration appealed and was granted a stay. Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, released the following statement in response: 

“When President Biden campaigned in 2020, he promised he would repair our asylum process and rebuild it from the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle it and prevent asylum seekers, as well as refugees and other immigrants, from entering the United States. Instead, he is continuing some of President Trump’s worst policies. It is disappointing to see the Biden Administration defend the use of Title 42, an abuse of public health law that has no basis in science, and to see the federal court of appeals side with him.”

“Rather than defending and legitimizing President Trump’s legacy, the Biden Administration should be putting more policies in place based on respect for international law and the United States’ legacy of welcoming the stranger and providing safety for those fleeing persecution. Title 42 represents the complete opposite. In the face of this discouraging ruling, we will continue to advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and other displaced people.” 

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA has stood against Title 42 since its inception under the Trump Administration in 2020.