Thread by @joekennedy

Take politics out of the equation and we should all be able to agree that two things are true: 1) What's happening at the border is horrific and 2) the President has the ability to make it better. (1/9)

Let's look at the facts. The right to seek asylum is protected in the US not only under international law through the 1951 Refugee Convention, but also domestic law. Congress codified this when it passed the Refugee Act of 1980. (2/9)

The Trump Admin used a 1944 health code called #Title42 to circumvent the law under the guise of public health concerns. In March of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the US started the practice of deporting migrants before they have a chance to file for asylum. (3/9)

Leading public health officials at the time said there was zero evidence this would slow the pandemic. Trump did it anyway. Stephen Miller cheered. No surprise there. (4/9)

But here is the surprise: the Biden Admin not only extended the use of Title 42, but is aggressively defending it in federal court after a judge told them to stop. So instead of righting the wrong of an inhumane Trump-era practice, they’re working to protect it. (5/9)

Now thousands of Haitians forced to flee their country due to life-threatening conditions most Americans can barely imagine, are at our border, with every right to make their case for why the US should help them. (6/9)

These are refugees. Countless of whom meet our country’s legal threshold for asylum, without a doubt. But instead of justice or due process or basic humanity...

They get deportation. (7/9)

There are so many other things that need to happen to fix our broken immigration system, from addressing blatantly anti-Black actions by border patrol to establishing a path to citizenship. The President cannot do this alone. Congress absolutely must act. (8/9)

And our broken immigration system is not Biden's doing or his fault. But as our president it IS his to make better.

He must cease the use of Title 42 immediately and make good on America’s sacred promise – and legal obligation – to accept claims for asylum. (9/9)