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Experts, Faith Leaders: Asylum Rule Contradicts Our Values

 

A recording of today’s call is available here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Faith leaders and asylum experts decried the Trump administration’s new asylum rule on a press call today, and called for more sustainable, compassionate solutions.

The rule, issued by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, would require non-Mexican asylum seekers arriving by land to apply for protections in another country before they would be eligible to apply in the United States. The U.S. has no “safe third country” agreements in place with any countries to our south.

The following are quotes from speakers on today’s call:

Bill Canny, Executive Director of Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
“[This rule] shirks our moral duty and will prevent the United States from taking its usual leading role in the international community as a provider of asylum protection. … People have the right to migrate, to seek safety and basic human conditions for their families.” 

Jacinta Ma, Director of Policy and Advocacy, National Immigration Forum:
“Effectively preventing individuals from Central America and elsewhere from seeking asylum is not in line with our values as a nation. We shouldn’t shut the door to people fleeing persecution, we should improve our system so people who want to claim asylum can do so and be heard and fairly considered.”

Jennifer Quigley, Director of Refugee Advocacy, Human Rights First:
“This is the latest and most sweeping ban on access to asylum so far under the Trump administration. … It is astonishing that they are going to return these individuals to the exact locations that they have identified are dangerous for them.”

Matthew Soerens, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization, World Relief:
“Evangelical Christians, motivated by the authority of the Bible, are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and Jesus makes clear in his story of the Good Samaritan that our ‘neighbor’ cannot be defined narrowly to include only those who share our nationality, ethnicity or any other factor. This new rule will put vulnerable neighbors from various countries — particularly from Central America, but also those from other parts of the world who have journeyed through Mexico to the U.S. border — at risk. It’s deeply concerning to many evangelical Christians and we’re praying it will be reversed quickly.”

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