The following article was published by Hope Border Institute on May 3, 2023.
El Paso, TX – In preparation for the termination of Title 42 on May 11, the Biden Administration has announced a plan to address regional migration. The extensive plan includes an expansion of refugee resettlement and family reunification parole as well as significant punitive policies for those seeking protection along the U.S.-Mexico Border which will further diminish access to asylum.
At the border, the US will significantly increase expedited removals under Title 8, which comes with a 5-year ban from readmission, and use expedited and rushed processes of adjudication while people are still in CBP custody. In line with the expected final asylum transit ban, the announcement also indicates plans to limit access to the asylum to those who apply through the CBP One application, which continues to be rife with technical issues and inequities.
Additionally, the administration will open strategic regional refugee processing centers, starting with Colombia and Guatemala, to facilitate access to lawful pathways for migrants traveling throughout the region. The administration also plans to create a new family reunification parole process for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia citizens. In our recent report on the administration’s progress with the Root Causes Initiative, we called on the administration to expand regional refugee processing and implement more robust legal pathways. The administration will also work with regional governments to further deter migration through the Darien Gap, which will increase the dangers for vulnerable persons passing through the jungle.
There is no need to sacrifice the rights and protections of vulnerable people on the move to establish an efficient, safe and orderly system. We can pursue both.
As we continue to work for a humane border and equitable access to asylum, we will continue to respond to the needs of those arriving to our binational border community. Through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund, a joint project of the Bishop of El Paso and the Hope Border Institute, we will continue to meet the humanitarian needs of migrants at the border and we carry on the fight for social justice.
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The Hope Border Institute (HOPE) brings the perspective of Catholic social teaching to bear on the realities unique to our US-Mexico border region. Through a robust program of research and policy work, leadership development and action, we work to build justice and deepen solidarity across the borderlands. Learn more at www.hopeborder.org |
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