John,

Right now, Congress is negotiating permanent changes that would end protections for desperate people legally seeking asylum. But expelling people with no recourse is unworkable and counterproductive as well as inhumane.  

Congress is trying to finalize a deal now that includes permanent changes to our immigration laws to end or drastically restrict asylum, fast-track deportation of families at the border, and increase family detention. A key piece of this is undermining the ability to grant migrants “parole”, the single most effective tool to reduce pressure on the border. The parole authority has been in existence since the 1950s and allows the federal government to extend special status for migrants without visas to live and work in the U.S. for a limited period of time. This program has been critical for people fleeing war in Ukraine, the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and economically devastated and politically unstable countries such as Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba.¹

Ending or severely restricting humanitarian parole and access to asylum would backfire, as people facing crises would no longer be able to apply for legal immigration, spurring a massive increase in border arrivals. It would cause what former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Chief of Staff Jason Hauser calls―“a human trafficker’s dream.”²

And yet, a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators may be days away from finalizing a deal that could reduce the number of people granted parole and give the President more authority to expel asylum seekers, decimating due process.

The U.S. has a long history of providing refuge to those fleeing danger and persecution. Under both U.S. and international law, individuals have the right to seek safety in other nations and have their requests for asylum considered. Funding is needed to ensure that migrants can be processed efficiently and humanely, and that local governments aren’t forced to divest funds from other critical programs.

We’re demanding Congress reject permanent changes to immigration law that harm families and communities.

Send a message to Congress today, urging them to protect access to asylum and invest in humane immigration policies.

Immigrants make our communities stronger throughout our country―major cities, small towns, and everywhere in between. Immigrants are your neighbors, classmates, doctors, workers. Congress should advance policies to allow immigrants to work, contribute to state economies, and address our labor shortages.

Instead of reviving the cruel and failed immigration policies of the last administration, Congress should instead:

• Increase Funding for the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), the new grant-making body that supports cities, localities, and non-governmental organizations assisting newly arrived migrants. These funds are often described as a “life line” supporting the provision of food, clothing, basic medical aid, legal information, and transportation support for people recently released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody.

• Sufficiently fund the Office of Field Operations: It’s essential OFO receives increased funding to screen and process people as they arrive at the border to seek asylum and other forms of protection.

• Increase funding for Employment Authorization and Other Application Processing, Backlog Reduction, and Integration Funding: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency responsible for employment authorization and houses the Asylum Corps, who conduct asylum interview screenings and adjudications.

• Increase funding for Legal Representation, Child Advocates and Post-Release Services for Unaccompanied Children: Funds for legal representation must be increased because unaccompanied toddlers and children continue to appear in U.S. immigration courts without a lawyer.

We must fix our broken immigration system in a way that doesn’t allow for more harm and suffering by vulnerable people seeking peace and safety.

The United States has a moral obligation to treat all migrants and asylum seekers with dignity. Send a message to Congress today and urge them to invest in humane immigration and asylum policies.

Thank you for all you do,

Dominique Espinoza
Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ With Border Deal Near, Parole and Money Take Center Stage in Senate Talks
² The GOP’s border proposals are a human trafficker’s dream