NEW YORK – Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Biden v. Texas that the Biden administration has the power to discontinue the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program. In reaction, T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, welcomed the Court ruling. This ruling honors the humanity and dignity of refugees by allowing President Biden to repeal the dangerous policy.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, issued the following statement:
“We are elated to welcome good news from the Supreme Court on a critical issue of human rights. The Remain in Mexico policy has been harmful, inhumane, and extreme, and it is a direct affront to our Jewish commitment to welcoming those in need of refuge. Remain in Mexico, coupled with other xenophobic policies such as Title 42, had been effectively removing the human right to seek asylum. Per longstanding U.S. policy prior to the Trump administration, those seeking asylum in the U.S. should have the opportunity to await their hearings inside of the United States, without threat of deportation. Today, the Court honored that standing precedent. We call on President Biden to follow through, and officially end the policy.
“Welcoming asylum seekers is core to our Jewish values. The Talmud describes the sin of Sodom, the paradigmatic evil city, as cruelty to foreigners.
“‘[The people of Sodom] said: Since bread comes forth out of [our] earth, and it has the dust of gold, why should we suffer wayfarers, who come to us only to deplete our wealth? Come, let us abolish the practice of traveling in our land.’ (Sanhedrin 109a) Lot, Abraham’s nephew, is the one resident who opens his doors to travelers, who turn out to be divine messengers who rescue his family. The act of welcome is portrayed as a morally upright and even holy practice.
“In October 2019, T’ruah rabbis traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border and met individuals and families living in a cramped shelter in Mexico. The refugees were sent there after attempting to apply for asylum in the United States and were fearful of stepping outside and into the hands of cartel members who prey on refugees. The global pandemic has only made these asylum seekers more vulnerable, as they have no ability to distance themselves from those who are infected and little access to health care.
“We must learn the lesson of Sodom and treat those seeking refuge with compassion and dignity. Only with a just, transparent, and timely system for those seeking asylum into the United States will we be truly living out both our Jewish and American ideals. This ruling helps us get one step closer to building that future.”
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
