ACLU Statement on Migrant Protection Protocols Memo 

October 29, 2021 5:30 pm

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WASHINGTON — The following is a statement from Judy Rabinovitz, special counsel with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead attorney in its challenge to the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, regarding the new memo the Biden administration released today justifying putting an end to the policy:

“The memo released today is a welcome step towards bringing an end to this illegal and inhumane policy. It recognizes what advocates and experts have long said — the policy has had an intolerable toll on human life and there is no way to make it either legal or humane.

“Yet there is a real risk that, notwithstanding this memo, the policy will soon be reimplemented and inflict on thousands of additional asylum seekers the same harms that have already been documented. The administration must use all the tools at its disposal to avoid that result, including moving to vacate or stay the Texas injunction, which ordered it to make good faith efforts to reimplement the policy.

“It must also end other policies that cause similar intolerable harms to people fleeing danger, such as Title 42, and make real its stated commitment to restoring and rebuilding the asylum system.”

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