“The clear intention behind President Biden’s newest proposed deterrence policy is to create so much fear, pain, and suffering at the border that vulnerable communities abandon their right to seek asylum and instead return to face the violence they are fleeing.
“These proposed changes by the Biden Administration would undoubtedly violate both U.S. and international human rights law that establish people may seek asylum regardless of whether they cross at a port of entry or between ports of entry. A similar policy was found to be illegal when it was attempted during the Trump Administration.
“This cruel policy would send people fleeing for their lives back to the very danger from which they were trying to escape. This is not a fair or orderly proposal, but one that would lead to more death, more suffering, and more chaos. It will certainly not contribute to a safer or more orderly border.
“President Biden has been presented time and time again with policy solutions, including restoring access to asylum at ports, increasing port processing capacity, addressing United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and court backlogs, and investing in whole of government strategies to resettle and support asylum seekers. Instead of looking forward to these solutions, President Biden continues to only look back into Trump’s playbook of cruelty.”
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