Since Title 42's End, More Migrants Are Being Detained and Denied Their Human Right To Seek Asylum

For Immediate Release: May 30, 2023

EL PASO, TEXAS — Roughly three weeks have passed since the end of Title 42, two children have died in CBP custody and hundreds of people are still stranded in Mexico because of CBPOne, an app plagued with errors since the Biden administration launched it in January.

Crystal Sandoval, Las Américas' México Co-Director and Director of Strategic Initiatives in Ciudad Juárez, México said:

“Even before Title 42 ended, Biden's changes made for a more punitive border. Asylum-seekers are forced to rely on a flawed government agency application, becoming sitting ducks. Take for example, Maria* (whose name we have changed to protect her identity). Maria* was kidnapped for three weeks by organized crime in Ciudad Juárez. During that period, she was continuously tortured and assaulted by her captors. They threatened to kill her if her family did not pay the ransom. Maria* lives in constant fear of being identified by her attackers and avoids leaving the shelter where she is unless it is strictly necessary. To this day, Maria* cannot register on the CBP One application. She cannot request an appointment since her cell phone does not support this platform. 

“Thousands of migrants face the same reality as Maria: being forced to wait in a country where they face persecution for who they are, what they do, or love. We can't continue like this. This is the time where we should be working to create humane common-sense solutions by investing, improving and making our asylum system safer.”

Marisa Limón Garza, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center’s Executive Director in El Paso, Texas, said:

“By immediately implementing an asylum ban as soon Title 42 ended, the Administration created more confusion for cartels to exploit. We know that any time there is a change in policy at the border, people who try to profit from desperate families seeking safety in the US use that as an opportunity to spread disinformation and take advantage of folks trying to reach the U.S. safely. With our work on the ground, we see this daily - mothers and fathers desperate to take their children to safety and instead fall victim to misinformation and empty promises.

“The Biden administration’s asylum ban drives families and refugees directly into the hands of organized crime and feeds into problematic and incorrect narratives about the border. President Biden must reverse course and honor his campaign promises to build diverse, working legal pathways so people can safely come to the U.S.”