Washington, D.C. – In a 5-4 decision today, the Supreme Court has ruled in Biden v Texas that the Biden administration has the authority to end the “Remain in Mexico” policy that prevented people from entering the country to seek refuge. The policy has not automatically ended and will be sent back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy of United We Dream, said:
“The ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy was one of many policies put in place by the Trump administration to make it harder for people to exercise their right to asylum. This decision by the Supreme Court paves the way for the Biden administration to finally follow through on its promise to end this cruel and horrific policy once and for all. People will always move, and it is our responsibility as a country to live up to our values of welcoming immigrants. The Remain in Mexico policy, alongside policies like Title 42, have denied the human rights of thousands of people and led to atrocities like the deaths in San Antonio, and the beating of Haitians by CBP last summer.
This ruling from the Supreme Court comes after several bad rulings that have limited our right to an abortion, our right to clean air, and our right to due process. This Court has proven itself to be dangerous to human rights, and so the Biden administration must act swiftly to protect them on all fronts. When people move, their rights move with them. Policies like ‘Remain in Mexico’ and Title 42 only deny people their rights, and disproportionately affect Black migrants. President Biden and Congress must work to ensure they are protecting the human rights of immigrants and people seeking asylum by ending policies that make it harder for them to seek safety, and defunding the agencies that target them, including ICE and CBP.”
