Biden is running out of time to keep his promise to “restore the soul of America” when it comes to our heritage as a nation of immigrants.
In February 2021, Biden kept a campaign promise and began the rollback of Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy. Desperate families from across Latin America were able to begin to cross, little by little, into the U.S. and claim the legal right to asylum that had long been denied.
Title 42 is a 1944 public health law that permits the expulsion of noncitizens at the border. Immigration advocacy organizations point out that Title 42 is a violation of U.S. asylum laws. Public health experts have also warned that it “serves to weaponize public health and undermine the apolitical nature of the CDC.” Far from the border in Washington, efforts at legislative immigration reform stalled and finally died as the president’s agenda failed.
Rolling back Title 42 can challenge the country to live up to our values. We can do this by presenting an image of borderlands that are prepared and willing to welcome families seeking a better life, rather than overwhelmed. Lastly, the United States must do more to address the root causes that are displacing so many across Latin America. The U.S. must build on the existing work of the Biden administration, and focus on localizing foreign assistance, addressing corruption and finding humane economic solutions.