(Washington)—Bipartisan negotiations in the U.S. Senate regarding foreign aid continue today and reportedly discussions about inhumane restrictions on asylum remain on the table. The proposals being discussed would result in changes to asylum law and policy that are unprecedented and would lead to catastrophic conditions for families seeking safety and refuge from danger, violence and persecution. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is calling on U.S. Senators to reject any measure that includes detrimental changes to asylum policy in the supplemental funding bill.
“Politicians must stop using immigrants as political pawns to secure foreign aid, period,” said ILRC Policy Attorney & Strategist Elizabeth Taufa. “The changes that Republicans are championing – and that the Democrats seem ready to accept -- would create barriers to apply for asylum that would be almost impossible to overcome in addition to severely undermining humanitarian parole and other existing migration pathways for vulnerable people.”
“We are calling on Congress to pass measures that would streamline the asylum process, and to provide more resources for community-based services to ensure immigrants are treated humanely and with compassion,” Taufa said. “Seeking asylum is a human right that is protected under U.S. and international law. The fact that some Senators are willing to turn their backs on long-standing asylum law and ignore the needs of asylum seekers is shameful and unacceptable.”
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities.