Contact: media@ilrc.org
(Washington)—In light of the recent Supreme Court decision, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) urges the Biden Harris Administration to immediately end “Remain in Mexico,” a Trump-era policy forcing asylum seekers to return to Mexico while their asylum cases are adjudicated. The administration must also rescind the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order allowing immigration officials to immediately expel from the United States individuals who arrive at the border, without giving them the opportunity to seek asylum.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling ordering the Biden Harris Administration to restart the Remain in Mexico program was a heartless and devastating blow to asylum seekers, and the ILRC calls on the administration to immediately end this policy and put in place a humanitarian plan that keeps asylum seekers out of danger and in the U.S. during their case proceedings,” said ILRC Staff Attorney Anita Gupta.
“The cruel so-called 'Migrant Protection Protocols' and the administration’s Title 42 expulsion policy endanger thousands of immigrants and contradicts international human rights laws and the global norm of allowing people to await the resolution of their claims in the country where they are seeking asylum, where they are protected from violence and further harm,” Gupta added.
“The administration cannot and should not use the Supreme Court’s ruling as an excuse to avoid putting in place a bold new plan,” Gupta said. “It is not enough for the administration to undo Trump-era policies. The administration has to go further and be proactive and immediate in their efforts to implement policies that completely overhaul the immigration system to benefit immigrants.”