During his second State of the Union Address last week, President Biden had a real opportunity to recommit to his campaign promise of building a 21st-century immigration system — but he failed to do so, friend.

Instead, President Biden talked about his new plan to “secure the border,” which news reports have revealed includes reviving draconian policies like the Trump-era asylum ban.

The State of the Union is this, friend: Our asylum system at the border is basically shut down and asylum seekers are being expelled to danger. DACA recipients continue to live with uncertainty as we wait for Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship. Hundreds of thousands of peoples' futures hang in the balance.

President Biden has failed to deliver on critical promises and has even embraced some of Trump’s worst policies, which disproportionately harm Black and brown migrants.

Rather than getting caught up in the false, right-wing narratives of what’s going on at the border, President Biden must embrace his past promises to rebuild our immigration system and finally recognize millions of our community members with a pathway to citizenship.

Importantly, providing relief for some cannot come at the expense of more harmful policies that deny people their fundamental legal right to seek asylum at the border.

Friend, no matter who is in office, we will hold the people in power to the highest standard of accountability, and we will keep fighting for an America where everyone truly has the freedom to thrive.

Thanks for being with us in this fight.

Sincerely,

Raha Wala
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy
National Immigration Law Center