Friend,

Late last night, the Biden administration finally ended its cruel Title 42
policy. Shamefully, the administration replaced it with a new ban which, like
Title 42, will stop people from exercising their legal right to seek asylum at
the border, putting lives in danger.

Friend, we must issue an urgent message to President
Biden to reverse course and restore access to asylum immediately. We can and
must welcome asylum seekers with dignity and respect.
[[link removed]]

ADD YOUR NAME
[[link removed]]This new ban seeks to deny broad categories of people the ability to even apply
for asylum by discriminating based upon how they got to the border or entered
the country. We already know that such a policy will disparately harm Black,
Brown, and Indigenous asylum seekers, a majority of whom must cross through
other countries to reach the southern border.

President Biden’s asylum ban will also make the process even more difficult for
the asylum seekers who are not turned away outright. By weaponizing a process
called ‘expedited removal,’ asylum seekers can be deported without ever seeing
an immigration judge or speaking to an attorney if an officer decides that they
don’t pass an initial screening.

For decades, through our ongoing litigation, NILC has monitored detention
conditions, access to counsel, and due process violations. We know firsthand that a policy like this will undoubtedly fuel mass
deportations and violate asylum seekers’ legal rights, including their right to
a fair asylum trial.

We’ve seen it before. Last year, we assisted two people, Cecilia and Danielle, who fled El Salvador
with their young children, trekking across miles of treacherous terrain, to
reach the U.S. to seek asylum. Once they crossed the border, they were promptly
detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

They were shuffled from facility to facility, often placed in jail-like spaces
with extreme temperatures and stale food. They were denied basic legal rights,
like participating in a ‘credible fear interview’ to explain their case, and
even the opportunity to contact a lawyer or family members.

One day, they were woken up in the early morning, loaded in a bus to the
airport, and given pre-filled paperwork, as if they had actually been able to
have an interview. Danielle states that amongst these answers, officials had
written that her two-year-old son wanted to cross the border to find a job in Dallas.

Their stories and so many others like it exemplify the egregiousness of civil
rights violations in detention facilities and under expedited removal, which
often go undetected. This is a clear example of why this asylum ban must be
revoked, and quickly.

Instead of enforcing unlawful and inhumane policies — the Biden administration
should restore full and fair access to asylum. Period.

We hope you’ll join us in urging President Biden to restore asylum — if you
haven’t already. Add your name to our petition to stand with Cecilia, Danielle,
and many other asylum seekers who all deserve a chance to have their case heard.
[[link removed]]

ADD YOUR NAME
[[link removed]]Thank you for supporting the legal right to seek asylum.

Kica Matos
Incoming President
National Immigration Law Center

DONATE
[[link removed]]This email was sent to [email protected].
If you would no longer like to receive emails, you may unsubscribe below.
View in Browser [[link removed]] | Unsubscribe [[link removed]] | Manage Your Preferences
[[link removed]]