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Dear Friend,
There was an overwhelming sense of déjà vu I felt when I visited the U.S.-Mexico border last month. Some things, I noticed, have changed since I visited last year, but the political barriers that overwhelmingly keep families and children from seeking safety in the U.S. together, remain in place.
The day I began my trip to the border, news broke of a federal court ruling that would finally end Title 42, the deadly policy that has forced families to separate and has unlawfully expelled thousands of people seeking asylum for the past three years.
The news took me back to my time in Reynosa, Mexico in November 2021. The border had just re-opened for commercial purposes only. Tourists could come into the U.S., but people fleeing persecution and violence could not under Title 42. Many asylum seekers had asked me: “When will the border open for us?” I didn’t have an answer for them then, and I worry that I still don’t.
Despite the recent federal court ruling that ordered the Biden administration to end Title 42 before the end of the year, lengthy legal battles mean the end of the policy is far from certain.
During my most recent trip to Matamoros, I had the pleasure of meeting a mother from Venezuela who traveled through the Darien Gap with her child. Meeting this family, I couldn’t help but think about the thousands of parents who have had to decide between enduring the conditions along the border or sending their children to the U.S. alone. Unlike adults, children are exempt from Title 42, which has led to thousands of families being forced to separate and children having to come to the U.S. unaccompanied.
There is an undeniable sense of despair I feel when speaking to these families; heaviness that only comes from witnessing the devastating impact of policies like Title 42 on human lives. But there is also light; light that comes from the way I see the Young Center and champions like you reach their hand out to support families and children.
While at the border, our Young Center team provided partner organizations and families with legal and other information relevant to their cases. We took our time to meet with families and answer their questions with care and compassion. We handed out warm clothes to those who needed them. While we don’t yet know what ongoing legal battles mean for families at the border, with your support, we can continue to fight to end Title 42 and reunite families.
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