Padilla Statement on Executive Action Banning Asylum
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, issued the following statement on President Biden’s executive action to effectively ban asylum requests at the southern border:
“By reviving Trump’s asylum ban, President Biden has undermined American values and abandoned our nation’s obligations to provide people fleeing persecution, violence, and authoritarianism with an opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S.
“This asylum ban will fail to address the challenges at our border, just as it did under the Trump Administration. It will lead to people with legitimate asylum claims being prevented from seeking safety and returned to harm.
“What we need instead are smart and strategic investments to reduce backlogs and wait times, address the root causes of migration, and open lawful pathways to migration.
“I urge President Biden to live up to his pledge to restore our nation’s ‘moral standing in the world and our historic role as a haven for refugees and asylum seekers.’ And I encourage the President to use his executive authority to provide relief to American families including Dreamers, caregivers, and undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who deserve better than to continue to live in the shadows.”
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