FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2018
PRESS CONTACT
Henrike Dessaules
hdessaules@refugeerights.org
646.459.3081
TRUMP’S PROCLAMATION RESTRICTING ASYLUM SEEKERS’ RIGHT TO CLAIM ASYLUM IS ILLEGAL
(New York, NY) – Today, President Trump signed a proclamation that bans asylum seekers from being eligible to claim asylum in the United States, unless they cross the U.S. border at an official port of entry. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) at the Urban Justice Center strongly denounces this new policy, which is illegal under domestic and international law.
Mariko Hirose, IRAP’s Litigation Director, said: “This new proclamation is blatantly illegal under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which clearly states that asylum seekers can claim asylum anywhere within the United States. This is yet another discriminatory attempt by the President to target vulnerable people, but he cannot unilaterally rescind the American commitment to provide refuge to those seeking safety.
Claiming asylum is legal. Turning away asylum seekers, and depriving them of their right to claim asylum anywhere, is not.”
IRAP calls on the Administration to rescind this illegal policy and allow asylum seekers to claim asylum and seek safety in the U.S.
To view the press release, click here.
International Refugee Assistance Project at the Urban Justice Center
www.facebook.com/RefugeeAssist/