STATEMENT: Immigration Equality Responds to President Biden’s State of the Union Address

New York, NY (March 8th, 2024) — Immigration Equality’s Director of Law and Policy, Bridget Crawford, issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s remarks on immigration during last night’s State of the Union address:

“We are profoundly disappointed that last night, President Biden doubled down on his support for border policies that will gut the U.S. asylum system. He said the “bipartisan border bill” will “save lives and bring order to the border.” In reality, it will put asylum out of reach for most refugees, including LGBTQ people fleeing violent persecution.

“The American people must see the border bill for what it is: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It is a GOP wish list of anti-immigrant policies that are cruel, ineffective, and will incite chaos at the border. President Biden is re-branding these radical changes to U.S. immigration law and campaigning on them for re-election.

“President Biden can and must do better when it comes to immigration policy. Instead of pushing a bill that will harm asylum seekers and immigrants who want a better life for their families, he should advance solutions that work. Policies that recognize immigrants make our country stronger, and as a result, benefit all Americans.”