New York, NY—Last night, 50 migrants were found dead in a semitruck outside San Antonio, Texas. While the death toll is still rising, the New York Immigration Coalition condemns the continued support of Title 42 that directly led to the tragic deaths of these migrants.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Last night, 50 lives were tragically stolen because of the continued racist policing at our southern border. The devastating circumstances of their deaths are the direct result of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that was implemented under the guise of the pandemic to cruelly restrict people from seeking refuge in our country. President Biden has promised to end the policy, yet just last Friday, while the country was reeling from SCOTUS’ decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Congressional members voted in favor of a six-month extension of Title 42 beyond when the public health emergency declaration expires as an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Budget. The blood of these 50 people is on the hands of our leaders who refuse to meet our humanitarian obligations and instead speak out of both sides of their mouths. Every day that Title 42 is still in effect, more lives are needlessly at risk. Congress and the Biden administration must act without delay and restore meaningful asylum protections for people seeking safety and freedom at our border.”
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