Title 42 Was Inhumane, But So Are Biden's Border Policies

Biden’s decision to utilize and repackage rather than reject Trump’s amped-up deportation apparatus is no surprise.

by Camilo Pérez-Bustillo, Truthout

The cruel Trump-era immigration policy known as Title 42 expires today, but human rights defenders have nothing to celebrate. The Biden administration has swiftly replaced the unlawful and restrictive immigration policy with a near-total asylum ban that will turbocharge the deportation of migrants who cross the border from Mexico into the U.S. This is combined with intensified militarization of the border and unprecedented steps to expand enforcement and deterrence measures throughout Latin America, from Guatemala to Colombia.

The Biden administration published the final version of its new asylum ban on May 10, drawing outrage from human rights groups that decried it as a violation of international law. Under the new asylum ban, migrants seeking humanitarian protection will face new restrictions that include a presumption of ineligibility, coupled with a preliminary requirement that they seek asylum in countries of transit prior to their application at the U.S.-Mexico border.

El Paso, TX USA December 21, 2022 Thousands of migrants seek asylum at the U.S. - Mexico border.

This in effect transfers the burden of humanitarian relief and enforcement from the U.S. to Mexico and other neighbors in the region. These are the same countries from which hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to migrate for their safety and well-being, and whose systems of support and refuge for migrants in transit have already been severely strained.