FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2023
Contact: Michael Czaczkes, mczaczkes@vera.org, 347-831-0347

Washington D.C. – Today Title 42, the public health order that was used by the Trump administration beginning in March 2020 to rapidly expel migrants who crossed the southern border of the United States, expires. Megan Mack, director of the Immigration Hub at the Vera Institute of Justice, issued the following statement:

“Title 42 was used by both the Trump and Biden administrations to unjustly deprive migrants of their right to claim asylum in the United States, going against the foundational principles of our nation and inflicting harm on the people who sought safety at our border. The expiration of Title 42 provided an opportunity for the Biden administration to establish a more equitable and humane immigration system and build in additional due process protections for everyone. Unfortunately, that opportunity was missed. Instead of constructing barriers to asylum, we must invest more resources to build the capacity of our immigration system. Continuing to rely on detention, fast-track removal proceedings, and illegal barriers to asylum has not worked, will not fix our immigration system, and will not deliver justice for anyone.”

###

About the Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.