Pangea joins the chorus of voices denouncing the Biden administration’s proposal to radically curtail life-saving protections for immigrants seeking asylum in exchange for increased funding for foreign military aid to Israel and Ukraine. This proposal is a lose-lose for our communities in the U.S. and abroad. Reports indicate that Biden’s proposal would involve: (1) enacting a sweeping third country transit ban into law, automatically barring asylum for the vast majority of people seeking refuge at the U.S.-Mexico border; (2) Raising the bar in initial screenings, which would block many refugees from accessing the asylum process altogether; and, (3) Expanding expedited removal nationwide, which would allow the government to round up immigrants and asylum seekers around the country for rapid deportations. These proposed restrictions would gut the asylum system, violate international law, and trample due process.
The Biden administration’s proposal includes sending an additional $10.1 billion in military aid to Israel and $13.6 billion for increased border militarization at the U.S.-Mexico border, as part of a $110.5 billion supplemental funding request. We reject this attempt to unjustly leverage the lives of our immigrant community members as bargaining chips to appease anti-asylum legislators. We affirm that there is no immigrant justice without Palestinian liberation. The fundamental right to move and the freedom to seek protection from persecution is not up for negotiation!
We need all pro-immigrant and pro-refugee advocates to ACT NOW to stop the White House from green-lighting these anti-asylum legislative proposals. Join us to #SaveAsylum!
Learn more and Take Action:
Spread the word: Use DefundHate’s social media toolkit to increase the pressure on Congress and encourage your friends and colleagues to speak up.
Contact your electeds: Use this Call Script from #WelcomeWithDignity. NOTE: POST THIS CallScriptV4.jpg and TAG to give credit
Read: CGRS, Human Rights First, National Immigrant Justice Center, and Refugees International [PLEASE TAG THE LISTED ORGS] have published an analysis of the legislative proposals being considered by Congress, breaking down how they would violate the United States' international obligations to protect refugees.