Asian Americans Advancing Justice Condemns Attacks on Asylum and Refugees as Biden Doubles Down on Trump-Era Harmful Asylum Policy
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Washington, D.C. — The Biden Administration announced a proposed rule that takes after a Trump-era asylum ban and unconscionably blocks most people seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border from finding safety and refuge. The policy proposal would require people seeking asylum at the southern border to use certain, newly established processes to enter the United States or first seek asylum in a third country before seeking asylum in the U.S. Those who do not follow these new processes would be assumed to be ineligible for asylum.
Since President Biden first raised this inhumane proposal in January, it has faced sweeping condemnation from civil rights and immigrant rights organizations, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, issues the following statement:
“The Biden Administration has let down millions of asylum seekers and advocates by seeking to revisit a legally dubious, immoral, and un-American policy that was first proposed under the Trump Administration.
“Asian Americans Advancing Justice firmly believes in a welcoming America: one that recognizes the moral imperative to support refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants. Helping those who are fleeing persecution is a moral and a legal responsibility. Yet, the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule would make it harder for asylum seekers to receive protection from the life-threatening danger and persecution they are escaping. This proposed rule simply should not be defended or justified.
“We condemn this proposed rule and urge the Biden Administration to withdraw it immediately. We need an asylum system that protects the rights of those fleeing harm, not one that further endangers the most vulnerable. Any asylum ban or restrictions will inevitably lead to death and suffering that can be prevented.”