LANGLEY PARK, Md. — Leaders of immigration advocacy champion CASA decried a recent order by the U.S. Supreme Court to extend the Trump era Title 42 program. Title 42 allows immigration officials to turn migrants away at the border without the opportunity to seek asylum. The policy was instituted at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when officials said limiting entry to the country was in the interest of public health.

“The Supreme Court’s move to prevent the Biden administration from ending Title 42 further endangers the lives of thousands of migrants fleeing violence and political repression,” CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres said. “It is stunning to see the court try to stop the current administration from ending a policy that was instituted via executive power during Trump’s term. We at CASA denounce the political intrigue that prompted these Republican-led states to bring forth a suit to keep this measure in place and continue to demand dignity and respect for those seeking a better future for their families in the U.S.”

Since its implementation in March 2020, Title 42 has been invoked as grounds for expelling asylum seekers from the border more than 2 million times. Immigration advocacy groups including CASA pushed the Biden administration to end the program, which prompted a series of legal battles between the administration and a coalition of 19 Republican-led states. After a U.S. District Court judge vacated the policy in November, Republican officials appealed to a federal appeals court, and then to the Supreme Court, which granted the stay on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

“We represent more than 122,000 members, many of whom are immigrants themselves, or have family members who immigrated to the U.S.,” Torres added. “The Supreme Court’s decision is an affront to the rights of every one of our members who either knows the struggles of migration firsthand, or has a loved one who underwent those ordeals. We call upon the court to recognize that the lives and well-being of asylum seekers are far more important than the frivolous rationales being raised in this case by anti-immigrant politicians.”

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With over 122,000 lifetime Latino, immigrant, and working-class members across 46 US states, CASA is the foremost immigrant organization and a national leader in supporting immigrant families and ensuring that all individuals have the core support necessary for full participation in society.