WASHINGTON, D.C. — A rule scheduled for publication Thursday would restrict asylum access for migrants who cross into the U.S. without authorization and fail to apply for protections in another country before arriving at the border.
A similar rule put forward by the Trump administration was struck down in the courts.
"We urge the administration to ensure that people with valid asylum claims can bring those claims in the U.S., consistent with our nation’s long-cherished role as a beacon of safety and freedom for people facing persecution," said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. "The administration should modify this rule to preserve longstanding asylum protections.
"Although this new measure seems to be billed as temporary, a policy can be difficult to end once it is implemented. The Biden administration — and Congress — should consider alternative measures to make our asylum system more functional.
"Our policies should prioritize legal pathways that relieve pressure on the border and on the asylum system. Migrants seeking asylum deserve solutions that protect them, not policies that make it easier to deport them to countries where their safety could be in jeopardy."
