FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2023

Contact: Nancy Treviño, media@presente.org

#FreedomForAll: An Urgent Call to End Migrant Detention and Strengthen Asylum Protections

Leading Human and Civil Rights Group Advances A Values-Based Opposition to Trump’s Title 42 and the Biden-Harris Asylum Ban

The following is a statement from Presente.org:

Oakland, CA – The end of Title 42 presents an opportunity for the Biden administration to uphold refugee and asylum law and respect human rights. Instead of focusing on detention and enforcement, we urge the administration to take a values-based approach that prioritizes human needs and rights. Human mobility has always been part of the human experience. It’s time the Biden administration welcomes migrants with dignity.

The administration’s decision to replace Title 42 with an asylum ban is unacceptable and inhumane. We demand compassion, not callousness, and urge President Biden and Congress to take a firm stance in protecting the rights of asylum seekers and put an end to the inhumane and profit-driven immigration detention system. By denying families the freedom to seek safety, we are threatening the very foundation of our freedoms.

Rather than turning away people seeking protection, the United States should implement a fair, humane, and orderly immigration system that reflects our values and upholds human dignity. The administration should live up to its promises and effectively address the root causes of forced migration, including climate change, violence, and political instability. With people around the world displaced by climate disasters, political upheaval, and economic turmoil, a humanitarian crisis demands a humanitarian response. We call on the Biden administration to take bold action and provide real solutions that reflect our values.

The Biden administration must immediately protect individuals’ ability to secure humanitarian protection, provide migrants with competent legal representation, and create and expand realistic migration pathways that welcome more migrants and their families.

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Presente.org is the nation’s largest online Latinx organizing group — and the nation’s premier Latinx digital organizing hub — advancing social justice with technology, media, and culture. Presente.org’s mission is to advance Latinx power and create winning campaigns that amplify Latinx voices; expand the political imagination and traditional boundaries; and foster inspiration for freedom, equity, and justice.