New name, same mission! LIRS is now Global Refuge. Learn more.

Stand with refugees.

This giving season, double your impact for refugee and immigrant families with a 2X matched donation up to $50,000.

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Donate
Start of main content.

Press Release // Immigration and Asylum

Supreme Court Rules on “Remain in Mexico” Case

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

June 30, 2022

Contact: Tim Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org | 443-257-6310

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Supreme Court has ruled today on a case which examines the Biden Administration’s ability to end the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, sending it back to a lower court in a 5-4 decision. The policy has been used at least 70,000 times to send asylum seekers back to Mexico until their cases are heard. People forced back to Mexico often wait in dangerous and even deadly conditions since the policy was first enacted in 2019.

In response to the ruling, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge said:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to remand Biden v Texas back to the lower court is a welcome development. It means, however, that the fight to help those fleeing persecution and seeking protection in the US continues.

Since 2019, more than 1,500 people forced to wait in Mexico have faced murder, rape, torture, kidnappings, and other violent acts. In April alone, despite additional protections that had been put in place by the Biden administration, three men were brazenly kidnapped from a van transporting them in Mexico. It is yet another failed deterrence tactic that contributes to desperate people seeking out increasingly dangerous pathways to safety in the U.S. — underscored by this week's heartbreaking and tragic loss of at least 53 souls seeking a better life.

America needs a functioning immigration system that is humane, capable of meeting the demands of 21st century crises, and that upholds our legal obligation to allow people fleeing persecution to seek safety inside our borders—Remain in Mexico fails on all accounts. We urge the lower court to put an end to this policy once and for all. Doing anything else is contrary to our values as a country, fails to uphold our obligation to protect asylum seekers and will cause the deaths of even more vulnerable people.”

The Latest

  • Advocacy

    December 20, 2024

    Advocacy in Action: Congress backs Afghan relocation office as part of end-of-year vote on defense bill

    In its annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress approved language that authorizes for three years a key U.S. government office that coordinates Afghan relocation and resettlement efforts, CARE.

    Read More
  • News

    December 20, 2024

    2024 Year in Review: Our Top 10 Photos

    As we reflect on 2024, Global Refuge is grateful for the journey we've shared with the families we serve and the communities that support us along the way. We're excited to share 10 of our favorite photos that capture the spirit of our mission. Each image tells a story of moments that have shaped our work and inspired us all.

    Read More
  • News · Community Engagement

    December 16, 2024

    A Full-Circle Moment 40 Years in the Making

    Bill and Ellen Gertzog helped resettle a refugee family through Global Refuge in the 1980s. Nearly four decades later, they met the family again.

    Read More
  • News · Community Engagement

    December 16, 2024

    5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025

    Discover 5 ways to help refugees and immigrants in 2025. From volunteering to advocacy, learn how you can make a difference through Global Refuge, the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving children, refugees, and immigrants.

    Read More
  • News

    November 26, 2024

    Jesus Was a Refugee: An Advent Calendar Devotional

    We invite you to download our Advent Story Calendar. Each day of Advent, as you reflect on the Holy Family's journey as a displaced people at the vulnerable time of childbirth, experience stories of immigrants, former refugees, and supporters in their own words as together, we build a more welcoming world.  

    Read More

Share