Date: Feb 10, 2022
Author: Yadira Sánchez-Esparza
Can you believe that right now, more than a year into the Biden Administration, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers are STILL being expelled from the border?
This cruel policy, known as Title 42 and started under the Trump Administration, has been justified time and time again by President Biden and as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic when in reality it blocks only asylum seekers from entering the country.
What’s more, this inhumane policy isn’t just being continued, it’s being ramped up. Just last week, Venezuelans became a targeted nationality being expelled to Colombia, a country with serious security and human rights troubles. The reality is that if we don’t act now, this policy will continue causing harm for months to come.
Whats going on?
Representatives Chu, Pressley, and Velázquez are circulating a Dear Colleague Letter to call on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky to revoke the Title 42 order fueling expulsions and demand transparency on the public health rationale being used to implement it.
What you can do
The letter closes this Friday, February 11, at 5:00pm EST. There isn’t much time left. Contact your representative and get them to sign onto the letter NOW!
These representatives have already signed on: Rep. McGovern, Rep. Norton, Rep. Kirkpatrick, Rep. Espaillat, Rep. Lee, Rep. Omar, Rep. Schakowsky, Rep. Pocan, Rep. Bowman, Rep. Meng, and Rep. Roybal-Allard.
If you don’t see YOUR representative above, find their contact information here, call their DC office, and use the sample script below!
Sample Script:
“Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE]. I urge Representative [YOUR REP’S LAST NAME] to sign Rep. Chu, Pressley, and Velázquez’s Dear Colleague letter calling on the CDC to end the Title 42 order fueling expulsions. Representative [YOUR REP’S LAST NAME] has an opportunity to be part of the undoing of the Biden Administration’s harmful immigration policies. Returning thousands of people fleeing violence and persecution without screening them for protection can not be accepted. We need to protect migrants and all people seeking asylum. This is not who we are as a country. We should welcome those seeking safety with dignity. Thank you for your attention on this matter.”
Your activism is essential in guaranteeing migrants receive the protections and fair treatment they deserve.
