Press Release
Published on September 30, 2024
WASHINGTON – Human Rights First decries the Biden administration’s plans to expand and entrench its June 2024 asylum ban. The organization calls on the administration to end this harmful policy and prioritize real solutions to resolve challenges in our asylum system and at our southern border.
“Doubling down on an inhumane policy that bans asylum is not the answer to orchestrated anti-immigrant fearmongering,” said Eleanor Acer, Senior Director for Refugee Protection at Human Rights First. “This policy bolsters xenophobic and racist rhetoric that falsely portrays immigrants as threats. It will also leave a permanent stain on President Biden’s legacy. Instead of playing politics with the lives of people seeking protection, the Biden administration should focus on urgently needed, real solutions, such as fixing the backlogs that undermine the effectiveness of our asylum system. The Biden administration should be eliminating, not expanding, barriers that deny people who are eligible for asylum a path to citizenship and family unity.”
The June 2024 Proclamation and asylum ban rule was widely opposed by a diverse array of faith-based, civil rights, LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the asylum officers’ union, and Members of Congress. Human Rights First and other organizations documented how the 2024 asylum ban has unlawfully turned away people to dangerous situations, in violation of U.S and international refugee law. Since January, Mexico has escalated rights-violating enforcement actions, further preventing people from reaching the U.S. border. The announced changes will also prolong restrictions to port of entry processing for most people seeking asylum, including victims of kidnapping, rape, and torture, unless they can wait in danger for up to nine to ten months to obtain a CBP One appointment.
Human Rights First reiterates its calls on the Biden administration to focus on humane and effective solutions. This includes providing equitable access to asylum at ports of entry without delays, implementing pattern and practice guidance to improve adjudication accuracy and efficiency, and prioritizing staffing and pursuit of funding for timely asylum adjudications.
To speak with Eleanor Acer or other experts at Human Rights First, please contact press@humanrightsfirst.org.
