devastated and frustrated, Hundreds of migrants waiting at the US-Mexico border cried this Tuesday the decision of the US Supreme Court to maintain restrictions on their entry into that country by freezing the end of Title 42.
(Also read: US Supreme Court maintains a measure that allows migrants to be blocked at the border)
“It is a great sadness to know that we cannot pass,” said Edward Acevedo, 41, at the foot of the wall that separates Ciudad Juárez from El Paso. “We are human beings! We are flesh and blood! How do we explain that to judges and governors?” Juan Delgado, another migrant, interrupted.
And it is that when there were just a few hours left before the controversial Title 42, a norm that allows the US authorities to block the entry of migrants invoking the anti-covid protocols, the decision of the US Supreme Court
During the afternoon of Monday, the president of the highest judicial body in the country, John Roberts, issued a slogan pausing “until further order” the annulment of the norm, which a federal judge in Washington DC had ruled last month and which was scheduled to for today.
The court thus decided to grant a petition by the attorneys general of Texas and 18 other Republican-controlled states to keep the legislation in force, which has been strongly criticized by rights groups.
(You can read: United States: what does Title 42, express deportation measure mean?)
Prosecutors consider that lifting the rule would cause “massive and irreparable damage to states, particularly those that bear the consequences of irregular immigration,” according to the petition they made to the Supreme Court.
In their lawsuit, prosecutors cite the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which predicts that border crossings by migrants, most of whom are seeking asylum, could triple to 18,000 per day.
Thus, they assume that the end of this policy will lead to an increase in border crossings, so that state authorities must “devote additional funds to security, education and medical care.”
The future of measurement
Now, Judge John Roberts’ decision gave the parties 24 hours to respond. This still leaves open the possibility that Title 42 will be suspended this week, although it is also possible that the court decides to maintain it while it reviews the case.
We are human beings! We are flesh and blood! How do we explain that to judges and governors in the United States?
Meanwhile, DHS said in a statement that Title 42 will remain in effect as a result of the high court’s order, and that “individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally will continue to be removed to Mexico.”
(Also: 2022, the year in which the most migrants have died on the US-Mexico border.)
As the litigation continues, “we will continue our preparations to manage the border in a safe, orderly and humane manner, when the Title 42 order is lifted,” the department said yesterday.
Since Title 42 was implemented in March 2020 and until the end of last September, migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have been denied the possibility of seeking asylum 2.3 million times at the southern border of the United States, according to data officials of that country.
According to activists and human rights experts, this measure violates international law, as they consider it “inhumane” to prevent someone from applying for asylum and ensure that it encourages migrants to risk their lives.
In total, 557 deaths were recorded on the border with Mexico in 2021, the deadliest year since recording began in 1998.
Why don’t you give us a try? They treat us like criminals and we just want to work
For this reason, Monday’s decision once again left thousands of migrants waiting in Mexico in uncertainty, who were anxiously awaiting the end date of the measure decreed during the Donald Trump administration. “It was the illusion of getting ahead,” said Ángel Colmenares. “Why don’t they give us a chance?” Juan Delgado insisted. “They treat us like criminals and we just want to work.”
(You can read: Anonymous graves: the sad end of some migrants at the US border.)
But President Joe Biden’s administration has already warned that even if the rule is repealed, expulsions of people who enter illegally will continue. In fact, after the lifting of Title 42, it was expected that Title 8 would be applied, which allows migrants to request asylum at the ports of entry and gives the Government the power to deport and even impose penalties on those who do not meet the requirements and are considered inadmissible.
For now, members of the National Guard are patrolling the border wall, at the request of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, while the Pentagon affirmed yesterday that it is prepared to respond in case support is required due to the growing flow of migrants in the border.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP and EFE.
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