Rights groups decry ‘flawed’ US asylum exemptions process

Aid organisations are calling on the Biden administration to end Title 42 expulsions and restore asylum at border.

Washington, DC – Every day, a set number of migrants is allowed to enter the United States through its southern border with Mexico. Each person has an appointment, has filled out the required documents, passed a negative COVID-19 test, and most importantly, holds an exemption to a public health rule that allows the US government to quickly turn away most asylum seekers trying to enter the country. Fifteen months ago, then-President Donald Trump invoked “Title 42“, an obscure directive that allowed migrants arriving at the border to be quickly expelled by citing the need to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.