Friend,

“Do not come.”

That’s what Vice President Harris had to say to a group of asylum seekers gathered in Guatemala in June 2021.

She addressed a group suspected to be traveling to the U.S. border to attempt to gain entry to the U.S., and went on to emphasize that the U.S. will “enforce our laws” and they would be “turned back” – taking time to emphasize the need to migrate “the right away.”

Let’s talk about what “the right way” entails.

The New York Times has reported that 40% of all migrants crossing the border today are parents and their children.

These are people who have tried to assert their legal right to asylum by following the process, seeking an appointment for a hearing of their claim. But as Democrats and Republicans in Congress have deprived the immigration courts of the funding they need to process those claims, they’re often waiting 10 months or more just to get an appointment.

The lucky ones get a space in one of the handful of migrant centers operated by nonprofits on the Mexican side of the border. The rest are left to live on the street where they are targeted by cartels for extortion, exploitation, or worse. No shock, then, that many choose to risk crossing the border on foot.

These families are fleeing political persecution, cartel violence, and economic devastation that is largely the product of American policy.

Now that she has been anointed as the new Democratic nominee for president, one of the first promises Harris made on immigration was to pass Biden’s barbaric “bipartisan border security” bill.

Experts and advocates have estimated that an additional $1 billion of annual funding is needed to expand immigration courts and properly resource the agencies tasked with processing migrant workers and asylum claims – far less than the $14 billion this bill pours into militarizing the border and hiring more border patrol agents.

When I am elected, we will address both the immediate material needs of asylum seekers and the root causes driving migration.

There is no daylight between Republican and Democratic policies on the border, and it’s no surprise that Harris – a former, self-proclaimed “tough on crime” prosecutor – has promised to carry her border militancy forward.

I will grant her this: Harris’ hostility to human rights falls right in line with Joe Biden’s.

I’m looking for something very different in my running mate.

My team and I sought a vice president who shares my commitment to protecting the human rights and civil liberties of immigrants.

We found one. And you will meet them very soon.

When we are elected, we will completely overhaul the broken and abusive immigration system and honor our obligation to asylum seekers – whose desperate plight has been largely created by predatory US policies.

We will create a timely, ethical, transparent, and dignified path to citizenship for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.

You can read our full immigration policy at jillstein2024.com/platform.

And you can help make this a reality by supporting our campaign for people, planet, and peace. Your contributions will help ensure that every American can vote for the only pro-worker, anti-war, climate action campaign with a pathway to the White House this November.

Seeking asylum is a basic human right. It’s also a legal right under U.S. federal law. It is our duty to offer safe harbor to people escaping violence that we brought to their shores in the first place!

When I am president, we will.

In solidarity and gratitude,

Jill