U.S. Supreme Court Ends Remain in Mexico Policy

Oakland, CA – The Supreme Court of the United States ruled to allow the Biden Administration to finally end the migrant protection protocols informally referred to as the ‘remain in Mexico’ policy. The policy reinstituted in 2021 was widely considered a serious violation of the right to request asylum and the principle of non-refoulment. This, alongside news from the last few weeks of migrant lives lost, Hispanics in Philanthropy released the following statement. 

“We are heartbroken that from San Antonio to Melilla, people on the move are consistently facing fatal consequences for seeking safety, and in many cases asylum. The lives impacted by these tragedies are an abrupt reminder of how broken immigration systems are. 

“Those lives lost in Melilla mainly hailed from South Sudan, a country that has faced internal conflict for years. We understand that many of the Sudanese on the move use travel routes that take them more than four years walking through Chad, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco.

“And most of the people from the San Antonio incident were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador where situations of violence, inequality, and poverty persist. These factors have been driving forces that have motivated many to flee in search of protection, security, and decent life.

“While the reasons people choose to move might be complex, our understanding of them should be met with empathy. The reasons people move range from environmental impacts to their homes, socio-political conflicts, gender violence, economic hardship, and so much more. This is why there is an urgent need to end shameful policies, like remain in Mexico and Title 42, that leave people on the move susceptible to harm. 

“Frankly, these policies should have never existed in the first place. In order to encourage people to reconsider such grave risks on their migration journey, we have to formalize humane policies that respect the rights of every individual regardless of where they come from.”

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