A recording of the call is available here. To read the report, click here Earlier today, refugee protection experts from Human Rights First (HRF), joined a call moderated by Ur Jaddou, Director of America’s Voice’s DHS Watch project and former Chief Counsel of USCIS, to discuss Human Rights First’s new report entitled, “Human Rights Fiasco: … Continue reading »
Today's Updates
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Asylum
The Death of a 16-year old in CBP Custody Was No Accident
Deterrence-Only Policy to Blame Yesterday, ProPublica released a deeply disturbing video documenting that the death of 16-year old Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vazquez while in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody last May was a preventable tragedy. The horrifying details reveal that CBP lied about what happened and covered up their actions. This brazen attempt … Continue reading »
Two Reports – by Human Rights First and by a DHS “Red Team” – Show the Policy of Sending Asylum Seekers to Mexico is Fundamentally Flawed
Today, Human Rights First (HRF) issued a report entitled, “Human Rights Fiasco: The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Asylum Returns Continue,” that compiles “overwhelming evidence that this illegal policy [Trump administration’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy] is a human rights catastrophe.” Yet, almost a year into this problematic program, the Trump administration “continue[s] to implement, defend, and expand … Continue reading »
Asylum Rejection Rate in NYC Has Exploded — One Example of Larger Trump/Miller Strategy at Work, Daily Beast Reports
As NBC News previously reported, leading white nationalist advisor Stephen Miller has long pushed for restricting access to a fair asylum hearing and pressuring judges and other government personnel to deny more asylum-seekers’ claims. The same NBC piece also quoted from a National Security Council official and Miller ally summing up the Trump administration’s philosophy: … Continue reading »
Boston Globe Editorial Board: “There’s plenty of room at the table”
“America is at its best when it welcomes refugees and asylum seekers” Over the holiday, the Boston Globe published a powerful editorial highlighting the stark contrast between Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)’s annual luncheon —which brought together 350 immigrants, refugees and allies to share a Thanksgiving meal — and the actions of the … Continue reading »
Deliberate Cruelty: The Consequences and Chaos of Trump’s Remain in Mexico and Asylum Policies
Wolf at the Door: Acting DHS Chief Claims “Success” When Result is Failure At the El Paso border last week, Trump’s acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf called the administration’s border and asylum policies successful and asserted they have made “progress in solving the humanitarian crisis.” He claims it is due to policies such as Remain … Continue reading »
Must-Read from HuffPost Highline on Trump’s “Invisible Wall” to Keep Out Immigrants
A new, deeply-researched article by Rachel Morris in HuffPost’s longform Highline makes the troubling case that despite President Trump’s failure to construct the actual promised border wall, anti-immigrant obsessives and restrictionists within the Trump administration have nonetheless managed to build an “invisible wall” to keep out immigrants: In the two years and 308 days that … Continue reading »
Newly Introduced Refugee Protection Act Begins To “Right the Ship that Trump and Miller Have Run Aground”
On Thursday, the bicameral Refugee Protection Act (RPA) was introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). At a time when America’s commitment to being a safe-haven for refugees and asylum-seekers is in serious doubt, this legislation provides a map to how we reestablish and improve the refugee program, resettle refugees in … Continue reading »
The Asylum Process is a ‘Shell Game’ For the Trump Administration
Yesterday, Hamed Aleaziz of BuzzFeed reported on internal Trump administration documents underscoring the sheer cruelty and chaos inherent to the Trump administration’s plan to send asylum seekers from El Salvador and Honduras to Guatemala. The piece, “The Trump Administration Will Deport People Seeking Asylum In The US To Guatemala Without Them Seeing A Lawyer First,” … Continue reading »
U.S. Shuts Off Asylum Protections, Resulting in Kidnappings, Chaos, Danger and Cruelty
Growing Pushback Against Trump’s Policies to Block Asylum The Trump administration’s asylum and border policies, including Remain in Mexico or MPP and the so-called “safe third country” agreements with El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, are cruel and chaotic. The growing consequences of the human rights crisis Trump and Stephen Miller’s policies have sparked are on … Continue reading »