POTUS no transit ban! Cruelty must not guide our immigration policy.

I know the Biden Administration just proposed a rule that would ban many refugees from seeking asylum in the United States. Under this rule, most asylum seekers who cross into the United States between ports of entry or who present themselves at a port of entry without a previously-scheduled appointment will be considered ineligible for asylum, unless they previously sought and were denied protection in a country they traveled through to get to the United States.   I support the longstanding U.S. commitment to welcoming refugees who are fleeing persecution and imminent danger as a reflection of our moral and national values. I therefore oppose this proposed rule.    Among other things, this proposal would disproportionately affect marginalized groups while favoring white and wealthy immigrants who can afford visas and air travel. It is deeply concerning that one set of rules applies to people at the southern border, and another set of rules to those who arrive by plane. The proposed asylum ban would favor people with more financial resources over refugees most desperately in need and would cause disproportionate harm to Black, brown, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ people. It is the wrong move, and federal courts have repeatedly struck down such bans for violating U.S. law. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has repeatedly denounced attempts to impose these types of bans.  It is worth noting that the Trump Administration’s unlawful asylum transit ban led to asylum denials and prolonged detention for many with bona fide claims, as well as family separations, permanent limbo, and the elimination of a pathway to citizenship for refugees who were barred from asylum and granted only the inadequate protection of withholding of removal. This is not a history we should repeat.  I urge the Biden Administration to keep its promise to lift restrictions on asylum seekers traveling through other countries. Adjust course immediately and abandon the misguided pursuit of an asylum ban. Thanks.

▶ Created on February 27, 2023 by Jess Craven