In the days preceding the end of Title 42, the U.S.-Mexico border saw a surge of migrants seeking to cross to the United States, but since the end of the policy, numbers have fallen by up to 50%. However, Mexican communities along the border, and across the country, continue to struggle to shelter thousands of people hoping to cross to the United States. The Biden administration has sought to toughen access to asylum in order to deter would-be migrants, but officials have characterized the current approach as a Band-aid over the larger problem. Fundamental policy changes to the U.S. immigration system are still needed, with some advocating a “very high wall with a very big gate” to deter irregular migration and open more legal pathways for migrants. Join us as we explore policy options for a more sensible and humane immigration system with experts versed in how these decisions are made as well as their on-the-ground impact. Featuring: Seth Stodder is a lawyer and teaches national security and counterterrorism law at the University of Southern California Law School. He served in the Obama Administration as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Borders, Immigration and Trade, and previously as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Threat Prevention and Security Policy. Earlier in his career, he also served in the George W. Bush Administration as Director of Policy for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and is a member of both the Pacific Council on International Policy and the Council on Foreign Relations. Nicole Elizabeth Ramos is the Director of Al Otro Lado's Border Rights Project, a program which conducts human rights monitoring, legal orientation and accompaniment for asylum seekers at the US-MX border, and engages in impact litigation that challenges US border enforcement policies which restrict access to the US asylum process. Nicole is also an Adjunct Professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law, and a frequent lecturer at universities and law schools throughout the United States regarding the impact of restrictive border policies on the right to seek asylum. Moderated by: Camille J. Mackler, Esq. is the Senior Visiting Fellow at the Truman Center for National Policy, where she is working on researching and highlighting intersections between immigration policy, national security, and foreign relations. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Immigrant ARC (I-ARC), a collaborative of over 80 legal service providers in New York State. In that role, Ms. Mackler works with community leaders, legal service providers, state and local governments, law enforcement agencies, and Federal agencies and policy makers to ensure immigrants have access to a fair and efficient immigration system. ---- The Pacific Council on International Policy promotes global engagement across Los Angeles and California. We believe that everyone has a role to play in global affairs. The Pacific Council builds the capacity of local citizens to become global affairs champions, harnesses the collective power of individuals, businesses, and institutions in our city, and exports LA’s talents to the world on issues where we add value. https://pacificcouncil.org https://twitter.com/paccouncil https://www.facebook.com/PacificCouncil https://www.linkedin.com/company/39432/?trk=tyah https://www.instagram.com/pacificcouncil/