Act NOW To Prevent The End of Asylum!

We are writing to ask that you submit a public comment in opposition to this administration's latest attempt to end asylum in the United States.

Where: Follow this link, the button is in the top right and reads, "Comment Now."

When: The deadline to send in comment is Weds, July 15, at 11:59pm EST

Below is a summary of the rule changes proposed by DHS to end Asylum, and a sample letter from HIAS. There are a few other links below to other letter samples.

‼️IMPORTANT‼️ Draft a comment using the sample language below and edit the language to reflect your voice. Make sure your comment is unique (don’t just copy and paste) because the system will discard duplicate entries.

The changes include:

• Completely barring granting of asylum on the basis of gender
  (see here for more about why this is so deeply harmful and evil: https://www.tahirih.org/action_alerts/save-asylum/?fbclid=IwAR18Gk3Deiz7NXW6BpdmaBA0UpBOmfuwaPIDyFVOoivYihTW3xpTJGEGQmk)
  
  
• Changing the very definition of “persecution”
  
  
• Redefining some of the core grounds for asylum claims, including membership in a “particular social group,” which could have a dire impact on women and LGBTQ individuals.
  
  
• Denying asylum to people who transited through other countries on their way to the United States
  
  
• Denying asylum seekers basic due process and their day in court by allowing immigration judges to decide cases just based on asylum seekers’ written applications

**Before the proposed changes can be finalized, the administration must review each and every unique comment that they receive; your comments are important!

Go to this link to make a comment: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EOIR-2020-0003-0001

Sample Comment from HIAS

I am writing to share my strong opposition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Procedures for Asylum and Withholding of Removal; Credible Fear and Reasonable Fear Review; RIN 1615-AC42 / 1125-AA94 / EOIR Docket No. 18-0002/ A.G. Order No. 4714-2020.

I object to these proposed changes because they would effectively make it impossible for anyone to find safety in the United States through the U.S. asylum system. They would deny most asylum seekers their day in court, and they would completely bar the granting of asylum on the basis of gender. They would also change the very definition of what “persecution” means. In addition, they would make getting asylum because of one’s political opinion or membership in a particular social group exponentially more difficult, and quite absurdly, deny asylum to people who have two or more layovers while they travel to the United States.

If these proposed changes were to be implemented, they would roll back decades of established legal precedent, resulting in the disappearance of refugee protections that have long been accepted as a key part of who we are as a country.

[Insert your own opinions about why you support a strong U.S. asylum system and why you oppose the proposed changes. For example, why does abolishing the U.S. asylum system violate your Jewish values? Does your family have a refugee story? Are you friends with someone who is an asylum seeker or was granted asylum? Do you work/volunteer with refugees? Have you seen firsthand how refugees contribute to your community?]

It is for these reasons that I urge you to immediately rescind the Proposed Rule and instead dedicate your efforts to advancing policies that respect individuals’ legal right to seek asylum.

More comment examples are here:

https://www.tahirih.org/action_alerts/save-asylum/

https://immigrationjustice.us/advocacy/advocacy-issues/due-process-in-court/speak-out-against-proposed-rule-that-would-gut-u-s-asylum-system