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Adam Russell Taylor Last week, U.S. policy on immigration shifted significantly when a controversial pandemic-related policy known as Title 42 was allowed to expire. At the same time, President Joe Biden issued new restrictions aimed at deterring migrants from making the often-dangerous journey to the border. Let’s be clear: Neither Title 42 nor Biden’s new policies meet the biblical standard of “welcoming the stranger,” which for us includes thousands of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking refuge from violence and extreme poverty. Title 42 used the threat of COVID-19 to expel migrants from the U.S. without allowing them to seek asylum — a right they’re entitled to under U.S. and international law. It also exacerbated a massive humanitarian crisis, as migrants deported to Mexico overwhelmed border towns and temporary shelters unprepared to handle the influx. Under the new policies, families and children can apply for asylum if they get to the U.S. Adults, however, will only be eligible for asylum if they have first sought asylum in other countries they entered en route to the U.S. or use an app to secure an appointment at a border crossing ahead of time — neither of which are easy for folks in the chaos of fleeing their home country. But while it’s easy to point out where these policies fall short, it’s often harder to suggest alternatives. After decades of congressional failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform and deliberate efforts by the former Trump administration to dismantle the system, we’re left with an immigration system that is fundamentally broken. We don’t have enough judges or aid workers to process asylum claims and we don’t have enough shelters where migrants can wait while their asylum claims are processed. Nonprofits like the Red Cross, and faith-based organization like Catholic Charities and Church World Service, provide vital services to fill many of these gaps, but these groups cannot meet all the needs of the migrants at their doors. The result of all this is an estimated backlog of 2 million cases and yearslong delays. When you combine an overburdened system with a record number of new migrants seeking asylum, you get the current crisis, which can easily feel intractable. What does Jesus call us to do in a moment like this?
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