America – Protect Asylum Seekers: End Title 42
As Catholics, we are called to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner. We must urge the Biden Administration to end the inhumane Title 42 policy and restore asylum protections. Since March 2020, the U.S. government has used Title 42 to expel thousands of people arriving at the southern border, citing public health restrictions despite public health experts' emphasis that the policy has no public health rationale. Additionally, the lives of Haitians and Indigenous families have been put in danger under this policy. We applaud the Biden administration for ending the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, earlier this year, but Title 42 continues to deny the dignity of migrants and their legal right to seek asylum.
During Biden's presidential campaign, he supported just policies and practices and promised to create a humane immigration system. The continued use of Title 42 goes against these campaign promises. Pope Francis said in his message for this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees, “Today’s migration movements offer an opportunity for us to overcome our fears and let ourselves be enriched by the diversity of each person’s gifts. Then, if we so desire, we can transform borders into privileged places of encounter, where the miracle of an ever wider “we” can come about.”
Migrants have been waiting for far too long at the border. They experienced
the worst in their places of origin, which forced them to leave in hopes of a
better life. However, their agony is prolonged while they wait in uncertainty
at our border. Our great country was founded on the principle that all people
are created equal and that they have the right to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. However, by denying them access to present their claims,
we have not been consistent with this principle. Asylum seekers deserve to be
heard, not ignored.
We must urge President Biden to end Title 42 and stop putting asylum seekers in greater danger by expelling them back to their home countries.
Source: Ignatian Solidarity Network
Related Posts:
The Central American Province of the Society of Jesus marks the first anniversary of the Nicaraguan government's confiscation of the Central American University, condemning the violation of education rights and academic freedom. They call for an end to repression, the release of political prisoners, and a return to dialogue and justice.
Stan Swamy Day in Viragalur was a moving tribute to a man who devoted his life to justice and the upliftment of the marginalized.
This pervasive Great Holiness (Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka) and blessing invites us to see our relationship with all created being and to recognize and know our brotherhood and sisterhood, not just with our human brothers and sisters but with all that exists and whose aura of holiness blesses us each and every day.
Jesuit Network with Migrants Central America and North America (RJM CANA) shared the first four months of the year report (January – April 2024): "They have been months of a lot of work to face the challenges in the migration context characterized by an increase in the migratory flow in vulnerable conditions throughout the region, however, also These have been months in which the fruits of networking have been confirmed".
On Wednesday, April 10, the European Parliament voted on the European Pact on Asylum and Migration. JRS Europe directors jointly opposed the pact and urged European institutions to reject it: "We cannot support a system that will allow the systematic detention of thousands of people, including children, at the EU external borders."
The Cartagena Declaration, adopted in 1984, emerged in response to the growing displacement crises in Latin America. Its importance lies in its expanded approach to defining a refugee, recognising the causes of displacement beyond armed conflict events. Despite progress in these 40 years, implementation challenges of the recognition criteria and the commitments made in the adopted plans persist.
