The Biden Administration Must Immediately Restore the Right to Asylum and End Remain in Mexico
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Media Contact: media@theyoungcenter.org
Washington D.C.— Today, in a testament to the powerful organizing efforts by immigrant rights advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Biden v. Texas, holding that the Biden Administration has the authority to terminate the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy. For years, Remain in Mexico has denied people their human and legal right to seek asylum in the U.S. and has trapped tens of thousands of children and families in dangerous, deadly conditions along the U.S. border. We urge the Biden administration to fully restore the right to asylum and end the unlawful Remain in Mexico policy today.
Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said:
"After years of violence inflicted against immigrant children and their families under Remain in Mexico, today’s Supreme Court decision is long overdue and affirms what we have always known to be true: seeking asylum is a legal and human right. Right now, the Biden administration is under no obligation to continue Remain in Mexico and the deadly consequences of denying children, families, and adults their right to asylum. President Biden must take immediate action to end Remain in Mexico once and for all and carry this momentum forward in also ending Title 42 and fully restoring the right to seek asylum fairly and safely for all. It is imperative that the Biden Administration equally prioritize reuniting families who were cruelly forced to separate under this policy and providing widespread access to trauma-informed, culturally inclusive resources for all who have been deeply harmed by this inhumane policy.”
Jane Liu, Senior Litigation Attorney at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said:
“As of today, the Biden administration has the authority to end the horrors of Remain in Mexico, a policy that inflicts tremendous harm on the lives and well-being of immigrant children and their families. Last year, the Young Center and a coalition of organizations filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to shed light on the dangerous and deadly consequences this policy has inflicted on children like Ana, who sought refuge in the U.S. when she was 17 after experiencing sexual violence in Honduras. Because of Remain in Mexico, Ana was turned away, sent back by U.S. border officials to wait in Mexico where she would be forced to make her asylum claims without an attorney or Child Advocate at her side. She was later deported back to the very danger she fled in Honduras.
There is no excuse to keep Remain in Mexico in place. The Biden Administration must act with the urgency this moment requires and fully restore the right to asylum for all by ending Remain in Mexico and Title 42 immediately. Everyone, regardless of their country of origin or race, deserves to seek safety, humanely and alongside their loved ones. It is time for bold action to ensure the lives, safety, and rights of those seeking safety are protected.”
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The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is a non-profit organization that protects and advances the rights and best interests of immigrant children and advocates for an immigration system that treats children as children first. For press inquiries, please contact Anabel Mendoza at media@theyoungcenter.org