ReliefWeb

Today, the Supreme Court begins to hear oral arguments on Biden v Texas and will determine whether the Biden administration may end the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The policy known as “Remain in Mexico” has put tens of thousands of asylum seekers at risk.

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA continues to oppose this harmful policy. In a report released in 2020, JRS/USA discussed the impact of MPP on asylum seekers and featured testimonies from those affected by these policies, as well as recommendations to policymakers on how the U.S. should respond. More than 70,000 people enrolled in MPP faced violence and insecurity in Mexico.

“For over three years, MPP has forced thousands of asylum seekers to wait for their asylum hearings in dangerous border towns, subjecting them to systemic danger and violence. JRS works directly with people in northern Mexico as they await their opportunity to pursue asylum and find safety in the U.S. We hear every day of the violence and suffering they experience.”

• JOAN ROSENHAUER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JRS/USA

On May 23, the Biden Administration plans to terminate Title 42, a public health authority that allows the government to immediately turn away migrants at the southern border. While termination of Title 42 will once again allow asylum seekers access to the U.S. asylum system, the U.S. continues to implement MPP which forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated.

“To fully restore the rights of asylum seekers, the U.S. must also immediately terminate MPP and swiftly process anyone subjected to this policy into the U.S. where they can wait in safety. Those subject to MPP are either sent back to the very countries they fled or to Mexican border towns where they are easy prey for criminal organizations.”

• GIULIA MCPHERSON, DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY & OPERATIONS, JRS/USA

Ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy is a necessary step to restoring a functioning asylum and welcoming system in the United States. As the country’s final arbiter of justice, the Supreme Court must terminate this harmful policy and allow asylum seekers to once again petition for protection in safety.

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA has also joined a statement issued last Friday, with over 30 organizations that are on the front-lines, offering legal and social services, asking the Biden administration to put an immediate end to barriers to asylum, such as Title 42. You can see that statement here.