Title 42 Ruled Illegal by Federal Court

New York, NY (November 18, 2022)—This week, a federal district court struck down the the US government’s Title 42 exclusion policy, ruling it unlawful and without public health justification. Title 42 has been used since March 2020 to rapidly expel asylum seekers at the southern border to grave danger, including LGBTQ refugees, under the pretext of public health. The Trump administration initiated the appalling practice and the Biden administration continued it, recently expanding Title 42 to Venezuelan migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border by land.

Statement from Immigration Equality’s Legal Director, Bridget Crawford:
“We welcome the ruling which shows once and for all that this illegal policy was never meant to preserve public heath, rather it was designed to block vulnerable refugees from accessing protection. Our hearts go out to the thousands of asylum seekers and other migrants who were returned to places where they faced kidnapping, physical assault, rape, and murder under this policy. The Biden administration must act swiftly to restore meaningful access to asylum at the Southern border to prevent any further harm.”