Statement On The End of Title 42

Statement On The End of Title 42
J. Kevin Appleby
Interim Director
Center for Migration Studies of New York
May 10, 2023

On May 11, Title 42 will finally end. It has been used by two administrations to deny asylum protection to an untold number of asylum-seekers who deserved US protection. It has placed them in dangerous situations and has led to unnecessary human suffering. Good riddance.

However, asylum-seekers now will face new restrictions on their rights, including the imposition of a transit ban which could limit, if not effectively eliminate, the right to asylum in this country. These new barriers to asylum betray our values as a nation, which was built upon the protection of human rights.

The administration’s creation of legal pathways for migration and regional processing centers is laudable, but they are not a substitute for a fair and workable asylum system.

The United States is entering a frightening new stage in our history, in which our reputation as a safe haven for the world’s persecuted is at risk. Nations will no longer follow our example as a protector of human rights, but will follow it as a justification to deploy their own deterrence policies.

Over the long-term, these policies will not work, as they do not address the underlying global forces driving migration or repair a broken US immigration system. Congress must take responsibility and work to pass immigration reform. It can no longer wait for the next election.

May 10, 2023