FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2023
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
IRAP STRONGLY DENOUNCES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO FURTHER RESTRICT ASYLUM
(New York, NY) – Today, the Biden administration announced it will double down on its embrace of the Trump administration’s xenophobic policies:
- The Biden administration will expand the use of Title 42 and expel all Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans seeking protection in the United States at the border. Rather, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans whose lives and freedoms are at risk will be forced to remain in danger and find someone in the United States with the means to financially sponsor them for parole. If they are successful, they will be allowed to enter the United States and leave after two years or apply for asylum.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will enact an asylum ban that will block most people from seeking asylum in the United States and force them to apply for protection in countries that either lack functional asylum systems or are otherwise unsafe. A similar Trump policy was quickly blocked by a federal court for violating asylum law and putting people’s lives in danger.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) strongly and unequivocally opposes the actions of the Biden administration to restrict the ability of people seeking safety and freedom in the United States under the guise of public health.
IRAP Policy Director, Sunil Varghese, said:
“President Biden and his administration are now actively pursuing discredited Trump policies like Title 42 and an asylum ban in an attempt to score political points at the border. Opening up new limited pathways for a small percentage of people does not obscure the fact that the Biden administration is illegally and immorally gutting access to humanitarian protections for the majority of people who have already fled their country seeking freedom and safety. The administration must reverse course immediately.”
Additional Information
- Read IRAP’s response to the administration’s previous move to expand Title 42 expulsions and create a limited parole program for Venezuelans: HERE
- Read IRAP’s amicus brief opposing Title 42: HERE
- Learn more about IRAP’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program, which has assisted hundreds of migrants in vulnerable situations apply for Title 42 exemptions: HERE
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