ACLU Condemns Proposed Title 42 Amendments to Omnibus Spending Bill

WASHINGTON — The Senate is poised to vote today on amendments to the omnibus spending bill, including a provision supporting the Title 42 expulsion policy, which has illegally prevented people from seeking asylum for nearly three years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who will decide if and how the amendments are brought to a floor vote, has been outspoken about the policy, calling it “disastrous for immigrant families seeking asylum” and called for its end.

Ahead of any vote, ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero issued the following statement:

“Title 42 has illegally blocked people fleeing violence and persecution from safety for nearly three years, in violation of U.S. and international human rights law adopted in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II. Efforts to keep this anti-asylum policy in place are irresponsible and antithetical to our values as a nation.

“This is a moment of reckoning for every member of Congress who supports the basic and longstanding right to seek asylum. They must do everything in their power to prevent any attempt to keep the Title 42 expulsion policy in place. If a Title 42 amendment is adopted, the ACLU will strongly urge all members of Congress to vote ‘no’ on the omnibus appropriations bill.”