FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 30, 2022
Press Contact: Jessica Ortiz, [email protected]

“This is not the end of our fight to restore asylum.”

San Antonio, Texas – In response to the news of the Supreme Court’s decision in Biden v. Texas affirming that President Biden properly and legally ended the Remain in Mexico policy in his October 25 memo, Tami Goodlette, Director of Litigation at RAICES, released the following statement:

Today’s SCOTUS decision in Biden v. Texas is a victory for tens of thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers seeking safety at the U.S border. Remain in Mexico is a stain on our democracy that has put families and children into danger and created repeated cycles of trauma for immigrants, as RAICES outlined in the amicus brief we submitted to the Court, along with Justice Action Center, on behalf of people impacted by this atrocious policy. The policy should have ended in 2021 when President Biden properly and legally ended it, as the Court ruled today.

But this is not the end of our fight to restore asylum. The Biden Administration must continue fighting Remain in Mexico in the lower court, and keep its promise to restore asylum and undo all cruel and immoral Trump-era policies, like Title 42. Specifically, President Biden must immediately begin the public notice and comment process to end Title 42.

The threats to the dignity of immigrants are real: anti-immigrant politicians are actively trying to codify Title 42 into law and decimate our asylum process. Just this week, 53 migrants horrifically died trying to seek safety in our country in an avoidable tragedy in our community in San Antonio. It is racist and cruel anti-immigration policies like Remain in Mexico and Title 42 that force asylum seekers to make unimaginable choices in their journey to safety.

Seeking asylum is a human right and is a legal act under the law of the United States. RAICES remains ready to welcome immigrants to our communities the moment that they can once again seek asylum at our borders.

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The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Learn more at Raicestexas.org.

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