FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2024
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger, media@refugeerights.org
“CRUEL, ILLEGAL, AND FUNDAMENTALLY MISGUIDED”: IRAP STRONGLY OPPOSES BIDEN ASYLUM RULE
(New York, NY) – Today, the Biden administration published a final rule that will make it nearly impossible to lift draconian restrictions meant to deny people the opportunity to meaningfully seek safety at the U.S-Mexico border.
The final rule extends the period of time before restrictions can be lifted and now includes all unaccompanied children in its metrics for calculating border encounters. These are deeply flawed benchmarks that are being used to indefinitely deny nearly all asylum seekers due process and individualized review of their cases.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides legal information and services to asylum seekers and other displaced people at the border through a partnership with Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción, A.C (DHIA), a Mexican non-profit organization based in Ciudad Juárez. IRAP previously submitted a comment opposing the implementation of this rule.
The following is a statement from IRAP Senior Policy Counsel Hannah Flamm:
“IRAP opposed these restrictions when they were first introduced as temporary measures, and we continue to oppose them as cruel, illegal, and fundamentally misguided. This final rule ensures that these inhumane policies are functionally made permanent, moving us even further from restoring a safe and orderly asylum system. Denying people the chance to seek protection doesn’t eliminate their need for safety, it simply pushes them into more extreme forms of danger and flies in the face of this country’s long history of providing refuge to those in need.”
The following is a statement from IRAP/DHIA Caseworker Victor Flores:
“People are not safe waiting for CBP One appointments in Mexico. Extortion and kidnappings of asylum seekers are skyrocketing in Ciudad Juárez and restrictive U.S. policies are directly responsible for pushing more people into harm’s way. The United States must restore full access to the asylum system at the border.”
Additional Resources
- Read the U.S. government’s fact sheet about the rule: HERE
- Read IRAP’s public comment opposing the interim final rule: HERE
- Read IRAP’s previous statement on the interim final rule: HERE
- Read concrete policy solutions from the #WelcomeWithDignity coalition to restore a fair and humane asylum system: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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