WASHINGTON — Amid congressional efforts to bar people from exercising their legal and human right to seek asylum in the United States, leaders of over 30 immigrant, civil, humanitarian, human, and labor rights organizations sent a letter to President Biden imploring the administration to clearly defend its plans to restore asylum access, and to forcefully oppose efforts to extend use of a racist, Trump-era policy to ban people from seeking asylum.
“The Trump Administration invented the Title 42 expulsions policy as the capstone measure toward their vision of destroying the United States asylum program permanently. This Administration’s continuation of that program normalizes racist, anti-asylum policies,” the leaders wrote. “It is imperative that at this critical moment the administration loudly and clearly defend its plans to restore access to asylum and forcefully oppose the ‘Public Health and Border Security Act’ introduced by Senators Lankford and Sinema and any other legislative efforts to delay rescission or maintain the use of Title 42 expulsions.”
The leaders also expressed that their organizations stand ready to provide legal and humanitarian services in support of the refugees in need of asylum in the United States. They have requested an urgent meeting with the President and relevant staff to discuss the termination of Title 42, readiness to manage any increases in migrants at the border, and how we can rebuild our asylum system in a humane and equitable fashion.
Read full text of the letter and list of signatories:
Dear President Biden:
As leaders of immigrant, civil rights, humanitarian, and human rights, and labor organizations, our missions include the goal of safeguarding asylum access in the United States. It pains us to watch the core of asylum rights in the United States crumble, and we write to urge the Biden administration to urgently reverse course.
The Trump Administration invented the Title 42 expulsions policy as the capstone measure toward their vision of destroying the United States asylum program permanently. This Administration’s continuation of that program normalizes racist, anti-asylum policies. It is imperative that at this critical moment the administration loudly and clearly defend its plans to restore access to asylum and forcefully oppose the “Public Health and Border Security Act” introduced by Senators Lankford and Sinema and any other legislative efforts to delay rescission or maintain the use of Title 42 expulsions.
Four decades ago, Congress unanimously committed to welcome those seeking refuge. The previous administration did its best to unravel that commitment; we implore you to ensure that this Administration and Congress do not finish the job for them.
We stand ready to provide legal and humanitarian services and advocacy to and in support of the refugees in need of asylum in the United States, and we look forward to working with you to ensure they are able to access safety. We formally request an urgent meeting with you and relevant staff to discuss the termination of Title 42, readiness to manage any increases in migrants at the border, and how we can rebuild our asylum system in a humane and equitable fashion.
Sincerely,
Oscar Chacon, Executive Director, Alianza Americas
Anthony Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union
Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee
Allen Orr, President, Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Paul O’Brien, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA
Swapna Reddy and Conchita Cruz, Co-Executive Directors, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
Nana Gyamfi, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Rabbi Joshua Lesser, President, Bridges Faith Initiative
Karen Musalo, Director, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Dr. Simon Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for Victims of Torture
Rick Santos, President and Chief Executive Officer, Church World Service
Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Silky Shah, Executive Director, Detention Watch Network
Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries
Guerline Jozef, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance
Mark Hetfield, President and Chief Executive Officer, HIAS
Michael Breen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Human Rights First
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch
Daniella Burgi-Palomino, Co-Director, Latin America Working Group (LAWG)
Traci Feit Love, President & Executive Director, Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG)
Wade Henderson, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, MomsRising
Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center
Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center
Sirine Shebaya, Executive Director, National Immigration Project (NIPNLG)
Rob Rutland-Brown, Executive Director, National Justice for Our Neighbors
Abby Maxman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oxfam America
Jennifer Sime, Interim Executive Director, Physicians for Human Rights
John Slocum, Executive Director, Refugee Council USA
Mary Kay Henry, International President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Margaret Huang, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center
Patrice Lawrence, Executive Director, UndocuBlack Network
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director, United We Dream
Lindsay Goldford Gray, Chief Executive Officer, VECINA
Thomas Cartwright, Witness at the Border
Sarah Costa, Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission
Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights