No cruel, ineffective and radical changes to our immigration and asylum system!

As Congress negotiates an emergency supplemental funding bill, some Members of Congress are misusing these negotiations in order to extract cruel, ineffective and radical changes to our immigration and asylum system. I oppose this. We all share a commitment to ensuring that our communities thrive and that those who need protection can find it here in the United States. A smart funding package would better fund the system and ensure humane treatment for asylum applicants and would not permanently block access to safety for all who need refuge. We can do that by hewing to these goals: —Invest in Frontline Efforts to Effectively Address Migrant Needs  —Fund Customs and Border Patrol’s Office of Field Operations to ensure they can safely and effectively screen migrants and people seeking asylum at ports of entry in a streamlined way that reduces the backlog at the border.  —Improve Funding for Legal Representation. A right to representation is foundational to this nation, but the majority of migrants don’t have access to lawyers.  —Invest in Case Management Pilot Program to strengthen support for immigrants undergoing asylum and other case adjudication as a more effective and cost-efficient alternative to detention.  —Strengthen Services for Unaccompanied Children to improve the processes for humanely and effectively taking care of children who arrive alone to the U.S. —Increase Funding for USCIS to streamline the process of employment authorization to strengthen our workforce. —Develop Coordinated Communications and Planning Best Practices for cities, localities, and non-governmental organizations to follow as migrants arrive in our communities.  —Fund Shelter and Services Program for cities, localities and non-governmental organizations assisting newly arrived migrants. —Support Regional Migration Solutions in the Americas including by partnering with the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration.. We should also oppose permanent policy changes that harm asylum seekers and use them as ransom for measures such as aid for Ukraine or avoiding a government shutdown. The system needs more resources now and comprehensive reform over time. But Congress should steer clear of last minute, poorly thought-out policy changes in 11th hour budget negotiations that would make a poorly functioning system worse.  Also, we MUST keep ineffective policies out; increased detention of asylum seekers and immigrants, family separation, impossible standards for accessing asylum protection, and other harmful policy changes should not be part of a foreign assistance package or a stop gap measure to keep the government open for the American people.  Thanks for considering my views.