June 19, 2019
Asylum seekers and refugees coming to the United States are often fleeing extreme danger, persecution and violence. Under national and international law, they have the right to seek asylum and protection in our country. The United States also has a moral duty to give them the opportunity to build safer and better lives, and to serve as a beacon of hope for families seeking refuge. Throughout our history, refugees and asylum seekers have contributed to our economy and society.
Yet the Trump administration continues its attacks against refugees and asylum seekers. Most recently, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum proposing additional restrictions, including charging asylum seekers application fees and barring work authorization for certain applicants. Such proposals compound the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, where migrants have been subjected to devastating family separations, the dangerous and illegal “Remain in Mexico” policy, and a DOJ ruling that will deny bond hearings for tens of thousands of asylum seekers, keeping them jailed in immigration detention centers indefinitely.
Asylum seekers are regularly turned away at ports of entry and forced to wait for weeks or months before they can ask for protection. At the same time, the administration has set historically low refugee caps and is on pace to admit even fewer refugees than its own proposals.
It is up to us to take action to defend immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers against these continued attacks and restore policies that reflect our nation’s values.
Tell Congress: Intervene to Prevent Further Attacks on Refugees and Asylum Seekers
We are calling on Congress to block this administration’s heartless attacks on our nation’s refugee and asylum policies, and to institute humane and sensible policies that uphold America’s bipartisan, centuries-long promise to serve as a beacon of hope for people around the world fleeing persecution.