End of Title 42 Brings New Barriers for Asylum Seekers

WASHINGTON – With the use of the Title 42 public health policy to bar asylum seekers’ entrance to the United States scheduled to end tomorrow, Human Rights First reiterates its call for a humane asylum system at the U.S. southwestern border.

“Since the Trump administration first used Title 42 under specious arguments about public health to bar asylum seekers, and throughout the Biden administration, Human Rights First has advocated for the repeal of that inhumane and illegal policy,” said Michael Breen, President and CEO of Human Rights First. “While the end of its use could be a cause for celebration, the Biden administration decision to replace Title 42 with new onerous bars to asylum is an irresponsible detour into nativist politics that will only perpetuate the cruel and dangerous situation at the southern border of the United States.”

Since March 2020, when the Trump administration began using Title 42 to block asylum seekers from the United States under the specious guise of protecting public health, Human Rights First has documented violent attacks and human rights violations against migrants and asylum seekers blocked and expelled under Title 42, including over 13,000 kidnappings, rapes, and other attacks during the Biden administration. Human Rights First has issued a series of 17 reports documenting the harms of Title 42, including its most recent, Human Rights Stain, Public Health Farce.  All the organization’s public advocacy on Title 42 is available at https://humanrightsfirst.org/title-42/.