07 JUN 2022

At the Summit of the Americas, Over 100 Groups Call on the Biden Administration to Protect Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees 

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, as reported by The Hill, 107 immigration and human rights organizations sent a letter urging the Biden-Harris administration to make additional immigration commitments at the Summit of the Americas, including granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and parole for Central Americans, Venezuelans, and Haitians. While we anticipate that the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection will be a welcome step forward in respecting migrants’ rights, the groups signing this letter expect the administration to go further by announcing new programs to ensure the rights of immigrants are protected by granting meaningful access to asylum, designating and redesignating TPS, expanding legal pathways for migrants and uniting families, and consulting civil society organizations to implement migration frameworks at home and regionally. 

The groups urged the administration to make the following specific commitments during the Summit:

Protecting Immigrants in the U.S. 

  • Designating Guatemala and redesignating El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status.

  • Requesting a significant increase in funding for the provision of legal counsel to all children subject to removal proceedings. 

Expanding Legal Pathways and Uniting Families 

  • Creating new resettlement programs that supplement access to asylum for diverse refugees, that are equitable and implemented quickly. 

  • Restart administration of the U.S. Refugees Admission Program in Cuba. 

  • Ensuring that parole programs are available to more nationalities and populations. 

  • Promoting and preserving family unity through the establishment of family reunification parole programs including for Central America and Haitians. 

Protecting the Rights of Refugees, Migrants, and Ensuring Access to Asylum 

  • Continuing to work to end the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) and Title 42–which deny asylum seekers access to protection and send them back to harm.

  • Ensuring protection-sensitive border policies uphold the obligation of non-refoulement, identify needs, and ensure meaningful access to asylum procedures for those seeking protection.

  • Reviewing all border and protection-related law, policy, practice, and processes to determine the impact on BIPOC communities. 

  • Working domestically and with countries in the hemisphere to promote access to justice for migrants and promoting increased access to protection.  

  • Increasing funding and capacity to provide for humanitarian needs all along the migratory route. 

Implementation and Consultation 

  • Avoiding bilateral arrangements that limit eligibility for asylum and “stabilization” programs that prevent people from leaving countries where they feel unsafe or cannot firmly settle.

  • Respecting labor rights across the administration’s regional migration strategy. 

  • Building on regional frameworks like the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework, or Marco Integral Regional para la Protección y Soluciones (MIRPS). 

  • Developing a process of reporting on progress of states towards implementing the principles in the Declaration and providing protection and pathways through national policies announced at the Summit. 

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

###

The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.