Today the Biden administration listened to the voices of the faith community, including our own, and ended the Title 42 program at the U.S.-Mexico border. Title 42, started by the Trump administration in March 2020 under the auspices of a U.S. healthcare statute, allowed the U.S. government to expel migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border. The policy, which purportedly aimed to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into the United States, completely closed off the ability of individuals arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum and led to 1.7 million expulsions from the border. The Episcopal Church has advocated for ending this policy, which will once again allow vulnerable individuals and families to apply for asylum. We welcome this news and thank members of the Episcopal Public Policy Network and Episcopal Migration Ministries who advocated for this change.

“Our Church has made clear that Congress should make critical reforms to our immigration system,” said the Rev C.K. Robertson who oversees Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Office of Government Relations. “These reforms must ensure family unity, protect human rights, and provide a pathway to citizenship. We recognize the vulnerabilities and dangers migrants face on their way to and at our border, and we must create safe and orderly paths for those seeking refuge consistent with the Church’s affirmation of the universal right to seek asylum. As Episcopalians, we believe it is morally and politically urgent to tackle these issues to uphold our heritage as a country of immigrants.”