For Immediate Release: December 22, 2022
Contact: Alexandra Gulden
Washington, D.C.—Today, the Senate voted against adding two anti-immigration amendments to the omnibus spending bill. The amendments included an extension of Title 42 and a massive increase in spending for immigration detention and prosecution.
“We commend Congress for voting against extending Title 42,” said Quixote Center Executive Director Dr. Kim Lamberty. “Title 42 endangers the lives of vulnerable people, blocking them from seeking safety through the asylum process. Since President Biden took office, there have been 13,480 reports of violent attacks such as murder, torture, kidnapping, and rape on people blocked in or expelled to Mexico.
“The current humanitarian crisis is not the result of ‘chaos’ at the border, but of an unwillingness to fix a broken asylum system. Title 42 is a failed policy, and our country must do better for vulnerable people. In the new year, we urge Congress to continue to defeat any attempts to erode asylum, and instead invest in community-based solutions that welcome people fleeing from danger with dignity and respect.”
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The Quixote Center empowers vulnerable families and communities to become the artisans of their own destiny through transforming oppressive systems and structures. Inspired by liberation theology and Catholic Social Teaching, we do this through sustainable development, advocacy, economic justice, environmental, and educational initiatives. Our current focus is on Nicaragua and Haiti, where we support programs to empower impoverished families and communities, and support for migrants in Mexico and Central America, where we work to mitigate the damage of US immigration policies. Together with our partners, we dream of a world more justly loving.