Read the corresponding article, "What is Happening at the Border," for further information on Title 42 and the most critical next steps for protecting the rights of asylum seekers.
Since March 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has blocked and expelled migrants arriving at the southern border, including asylum seekers and children. These rapid expulsions are being carried out under a Title 42 public health order which was issued by the CDC in 2020 under pressure from the Trump administration, despite objections by CDC health officials that there was no legitimate public health reason to justify such rapid expulsions.
These expulsions have denied asylum seekers their legal right to present their asylum claims. Many have been sent back to their countries of origin, putting them at risk of persecution, torture and other serious danger in violation of U.S. refugee and anti-trafficking laws and treaty obligations.
Title 42 rapid expulsions of vulnerable asylum seekers continue daily. For more information on Title 42 and the situation at the border, read this article with updates from Heidi Cerneka, a Maryknoll lay missioner working as an immigration attorney in El Paso, Texas.
Take action today: Urge President Biden to end Title 42 expulsions today.