Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on Supreme Court's Title 42 Order
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released a statement following today’s unsigned Supreme Court order temporarily extending Title 42, a destructive and flawed Trump-era measure that was set to expire this month.
“The Supreme Court’s order today is a destructive one based purely on politics. As Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his dissent, this order was made, ‘because policymakers have failed to agree on adequate measures to address [increased border crossings]... We are a court of law, not policymakers of last resort.’ At a time when the American peoples’ faith in the Supreme Court’s impartiality is at an all-time low this decision further erodes the Court’s credibility.
“The order endangers the lives of people fleeing violence in their homelands; those seeking freedom, safety, and opportunity in the United States. Title 42 was put in place as a measure to protect public health during the height of the spread of COVID-19. It is not a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform.
“Instead, Republican Governors have prioritized political stunts including sending desperate asylum seekers to northern cities that are experiencing severe weather.
“Republican politicians have been quick to eliminate or circumvent nearly all COVID protocols meant to protect Americans. Their sudden interest in supporting covid measures at this point is based entirely on an effort to exclude legal asylum seekers. They have cynically found this one issue, the issue of Title 42, to cling to not because they seek to protect public health, but because their own caucus is incapable of coming to the table with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform.
“I only hope they see the light between now and the time of the Court’s final ruling on this case. Bipartisan immigration reform is possible but only if Congressional Republicans can put aside their partisanship and work with Democrats on finding a solution that prioritizes fairness and security.”