Biden Must Stand Behind Promise to End Title 42
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden,
We, the undersigned progressive national state and local organizations, applaud your administration’s decision to end Title 42 and restore access to asylum for people presenting themselves at our borders. We now call on you to stand by this decision and lead your administration towards building an immigration system that is welcoming, fair, humane, and orderly. We urge you to stay the course and defend your administration’s decision to end Title 42 and forcefully oppose any legislative efforts to keep Title 42 in place or delay its end, such as the Public Health and Border Security Act. This should not be a hard decision; the Title 42 order is supposed to be a public health measure, and there is zero public health rationale for restricting asylum, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have properly determined.
All people deserve the opportunity to live free from violence and persecution and with their families. The American public watched in horror as the Trump administration separated children, including babies and toddlers, from their families, causing lifelong trauma to people who were fleeing violence. In response, you made a campaign promise to restore the asylum system and undo the cruel policies of the Trump era. Title 42 is a Trump-era relic that perpetuates family separation and prevents people from accessing our asylum system.
Leadership requires courage and commitment. At this critical moment, we call on your administration to clearly articulate and defend its plan to end Title 42 and restore asylum. Your administration must oppose any legislative efforts that tie the hands of your administration and keep Title 42 in place indefinitely. Legislation such as S. 4036/H.R. 7458, the Public Health and Border Security Act, takes the decision-making authority away from the scientists and public health experts at the Center for Disease Control and politicizes pandemic relief.
Your administration must stand with voters who elected you into office by fulfilling your commitment to protect immigrants, restore the asylum system, and end family separation. We know that your administration has a plan, the capacity, and resources to manage migration, keep families together, and ensure a just and orderly process at the border. We implore you to stand firm in your decision to end Title 42 and communicate your plan to American voters.
We stand ready with you to show that America’s cities and states are prepared and ready to welcome migrants with dignity regardless of country of origin, race, or ethnicity.
Sincerely,
People’s Action
Public Citizen
Action Together New Jersey
Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable
American Constitution Society
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Center for Common Ground
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Church World Service
Clean Elections Texas
CODEPINK
DoTheMostGood
Faith in Public Life
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Government Accountability Project
Health Care Awareness Month
Indivisible
Indivisible Nation BK
Indivisible Northern Nevada
Japanese American Citizens League
Michigan People’s Campaign
Michigan United
Movement Labs
MoveOn
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council on Independent Living
National Immigration Law Center
Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
One America
Our Revolution
Pennsylvania Stands Up
People Organized for Westside Renewal
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Progressive Maryland
River Valley Organizing
R2H Action [Right to Health]
Social Security Works
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
United Vision for Idaho
United We Dream
Venice Resistance
Voice of Democracy Arizona
Voices for Progress
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
Witness at the Border
WV Citizen Action Group