Immigration Equality Deeply Concerned with Biden’s Broken Promises to Immigrants
New York, NY (February 10th, 2023) — During his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, President Biden spoke at length about the economy and infrastructure investments, touting his achievements and leadership. However, he gave immigration short shrift and pandered to extremists in the audience, focusing on border security rather than spotlighting the crucial role immigrants play in America and the need for humane, respectful, and equitable immigration policies. What’s worse, on the same day, the administration confirmed that it would adopt a dangerous asylum “transit” ban. This ban will presumptively bar asylum for people who traveled through a third country before arriving in the United States unless they sought asylum in that third country first. However, common transit countries are often extremely dangerous for LGBTQ asylum seekers and others. The administration plans to rush this ban into effect to ensure it will replace the deadly Title 42 policy when it expires in early May.
Immigration Equality’s Legal Director, Bridget Crawford, responds with great disappointment to President Biden’s broken promises on immigration.
“We applaud the President’s leadership on the Respect for Marriage Act, however, he must demonstrate that same leadership in the immigration sphere and follow through on his campaign promises to undo, not continue, President Trump’s cruel and illegal policies. LGBTQ asylum seekers’ lives depend on it.
On its face, the Biden administration’s new asylum transit ban is merely a re-hashing of a Trump-era policy that was already found illegal. Common transit countries are often extraordinarily dangerous for LGBTQ asylum seekers, where they face brutal violence, sexual assault, and even death because of their identity. While Immigration Equality supports the administration’s use of humanitarian parole to create immigration pathways for certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, this system excludes the most vulnerable who cannot afford the process or wait for adjudication before fleeing for their lives. In short, these policies are not a replacement for a fair and humane asylum system.
The time for empty promises is over. President Biden must fulfill his campaign pledges to turn back – not double down – on his predecessor’s deadly, anti-asylum policies. He should set the record straight and refocus the conversation away from dangerous nativist rhetoric and border militarization. He must devote the same energy and passion to passing comprehensive immigration reform as he has to other landmark pieces of legislation.
President Biden says that his aim is to ‘restore the soul of the nation.’ Mr. President, we are a nation of immigrants and our nation’s soul will not be restored until we fulfill our moral and legal obligation to protect the human rights of those fleeing persecution.”