FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 

Media Contact: media@theyoungcenter.org 

Washington D.C.-- This week, Univision broke the story of a Cuban teenager who was forced to wait in Mexico while requesting an appointment to seek asylum in the U.S. with his family, was shot and killed. Jairon Abraham Cruz was only 17 years old. He arrived in Mexico earlier this month with his family on the same day the Biden administration announced its expansion of Title 42 to immediately expel the majority of Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans –in addition to Venezuelans—seeking asylum in the U.S. Anyone who seeks an exemption from Title 42 must first find someone in the United States to sponsor their application, and then wait outside of the United States as DHS undertakes a screening and review process. Jairon was fatally shot while caught up in this process. 

Jennifer Nagda, Policy Director at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said: 

“Seeking asylum is legal. But to seek asylum, people need a safe place from which to tell their story and to be heard by a government official. President Trump’s implementation of Title 42 and President Biden’s continuation and subsequent expansion of Title 42 to nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela completely disregard this critical aspect of seeking asylum. Instead, these policies put human beings directly in harm’s way, in violation of our obligations to those who seek protection at our border. 

For more than three years, the Young Center and our allies have warned of the dangers children and their families face when they are turned away by border officials and told to “wait” or “go home.” This child's death could have been prevented if the Administration or Congress or the Supreme Court honored the rule of asylum law.  

This young person’s death confirms that an “apply from afar” parole program is not a substitute for the right to seek asylum. It could be an excellent additional mechanism for safe migration to the United States. But it simply does not work for children and families who have experienced or who fear persecution in their countries. The Biden Administration must take steps to promptly end Title 42 and reinstate the right to asylum for everyone seeking safety in the United States, so that no more children—or their families—face this horrific and preventable outcome.” 

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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