During his campaign for the presidency, Joe Biden promised to end the Trump Administration’s use of Title 42 (a public health law) to expel asylum-seekers at the US border. In office, he initially sought to withdraw the controversial Trump policy, but was stopped in the courts. Since then, he has doubled down on Title 42 expulsions–recently announcing special programs to expel Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans as well as continuing its use against other asylum-seekers. The Administration is also considering reviving a Trump Administration plan to deny asylum to those who traveled through Mexico and did not seek asylum there.
This webinar will examine the Biden policies and current court cases challenging Title 42 expulsions. We will hear from experts on why and how the right to asylum should be restored at the US southwest border.
Eleanor Acer oversees Human Rights First’s research and advocacy on issues relating to refugee protection, asylum, and migrants’ rights. Eleanor advocates, speaks and writes regularly on issues relating to the human rights of refugees and migrants, including legal representation, detention, U.S. asylum law and policy, U.S. global refugee protection and resettlement policies, and protection from xenophobic and bias-motivated violence. She works closely with Human Rights First’s pro bono legal representation team, conducts field research, has authored numerous reports and articles, and has testified before the U.S. Congress.
T. Alexander Aleinikoff is University Professor, and has served as Director of the Zolberg Institute since January 2017. He received a J.D. from the Yale Law School and a B.A. from Swarthmore College.
Alex has written widely in the areas of immigration and refugee law and policy, transnational law, citizenship, race, and constitutional law. He recently published a book titled The Arc of Protection: Reforming the International Refugee Regime, which he co-authored with Leah Zamore. His book Semblances of Sovereignty: The Constitution, the State, and American Citizenship was published by Harvard University Press in 2002. Alex is a co-author of leading legal casebooks on immigration law and forced migration.
Before coming to The New School, Alex served as United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees (2010-15) and was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he also served as dean and Executive Vice President of Georgetown University. He was co-chair of the Immigration Task Force for President Barack Obama’s transition team in 2008. From 1994 to 1997, he served as the general counsel, and then executive associate commissioner for programs, at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Alex was inducted into the American Academy of Arts of Sciences in 2014.