Immigrant Defenders Law Center Decries Judge’s Decision to Force Continuance of Title 42
Updated: Sep 23, 2022
5/20/22
Media Contact: Sarai Herrera
Email: sherrera@immdef.org
Ph: 213.282.2812
Immigrant Defenders Law Center Decries Judge’s Decision to Force Continuance of Title 42 Expulsions
A Federal Judge in Louisiana has granted a nationwide preliminary injunction in a politically motivated and morally bankrupt case that now bars the Biden administration from lifting the inhumane Title 42 policy.
LOS ANGELES, CA: Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) decries the forced continuance of the deadly and inhumane Title 42 policy ordered by a federal judge in Louisiana on Friday, May 20, 2022. Since March 2020 asylum-seekers have had the door slammed in their faces when they attempt to seek protection at our borders. Title 42 expels migrants without due process under the guise of a public health order. It has become a cruel deterrent to the most vulnerable amongst us. Today’s decision has nothing to do with COVID-19 and is a step backward in our commitment as a nation to adhere to asylum law and treat refugees and asylum seekers with dignity and compassion. The court has failed to see through the states' blatant attempt to keep the border closed from asylum-seekers and other migrants in violation of our international commitments and democratic values.
As Southern California’s largest nonprofit removal defense organization, ImmDef sees the daily human impact this policy has on individuals and families desperate for safety. Keeping Title 42 in place means giving sanction to violence, including rape and death, against families and individuals waiting at the border.
“The consequences of this decision affect thousands of families who have waited years in overcrowded shelters and have become targets of rising violence, abductions, rape, and murder. This lawsuit has absolutely nothing to do with public health and everything to do with politics, creating a humanitarian disaster in its wake. We will keep fighting to push the Biden administration to end Title 42 and uphold our domestic and international legal obligations to protect asylum-seekers.” – Lindsay Toczylowski, Executive Director, and Co-Founder
“We must not create two asylum systems: one for white Ukrainians and another for Black and brown people. If we can mobilize support in incredible and life-saving ways for Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, we can do so for others fleeing violence and danger. We must fulfill our international obligation to protect all asylum-seekers and bring dignity and due process back into our immigration system.” – Alvaro Huerta, Director of Litigation and Advocacy
“During one of the most challenging times in history, the U.S. has taken the possibility of freedom and safety away from asylum-seekers. Our asylum system has been under attack for over six years, and is completely non-existent for the people who risked their lives to reach the U.S. southern border in the last two years. It is time to open our doors to LGBTQ individuals, women fleeing domestic violence, young men who refuse to join ruthless gangs with ties to their government, and others who cannot be at peace in their own country. The U.S. is a powerful country with the means to process vulnerable individuals and families safely and swiftly into our nation., but we cannot live up to our legacy when we employ xenophobic and racist policies.” -Margaret Cargioli, Directing Attorney of the Cross-Border Initiative
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Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the legal system. We envision a future where no immigrant will be forced to face immigration court alone. Our programs are a first step towards the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. ImmDef is now the largest non‐profit, pro bono provider of deportation defense in California with offices in Los Angeles, Adelanto, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego.