Espaillat, Menendez Lead Colleagues in Urging the Biden Administration to Reassess Decision to Expel Venezuelans Under Title 42

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led a group of 20 colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department in response to the administration’s recent announcement to use Title 42 to expel Venezuelans seeking refuge at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We write to express our profound disappointment by the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to use Title 42 to expel Venezuelans seeking refuge at the U.S.-Mexico border. This decision places thousands of displaced asylum seekers at risk, does not align with our nation’s values, and violates our legal obligations under domestic and international law. We urge you to reassess this decision and ensure that all individuals have access to our nation’s asylum system,” wrote the lawmakers to President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Secretary Blinken.

Last week, DHS announced that the administration would use Title 42 to expel Venezuelans seeking refuge at the U.S.-Mexico border. Earlier this year, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the termination of the Title 42 public health order as it found no sufficient public health evidence to justify the action. According to public health authorities, Title 42 has led to an inappropriate epidemic of stigma and misrepresentation against migrants, and the policy’s use continues to be morally wrong, discriminatory, and unlawful.

Read the letter led by Sen. Menendez and Rep. Espaillat in its entirety.