SILVER SPRING, Maryland — The Supreme Court’s Aug. 24 decision to deny a stay that would have temporarily halted the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” policy will “deepen human suffering and continue to erode U.S. law and values at the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Anna Gallagher, CLINIC’s Executive Director.

In a February 2021 study, Human Rights First documented more than 1,500 cases of asylum seekers and migrants murdered, raped, tortured, violently assaulted, or kidnapped due to forcible return to Mexico under this policy. This included nearly 350 cases of children kidnapped or nearly kidnapped. As the report notes, the full picture of the human devastation caused by this inhumane policy is unknown, as the overwhelming majority of the tens of thousands of people affected have not been interviewed or been able to share their story.

“‘Remain in Mexico’ is an assault on human rights and U.S. asylum law,” continued Gallagher, “and both are already under attack due to the Biden administration’s decision to keep Title 42 in place. CLINIC and our affiliates, like so many across this country, stand ready to welcome. Our message to the Biden administration at this critical moment is clear: we will hold you to your promise to restore the soul of America. To do so, you must take immediate action to end Remain in Mexico.”