21 DECEMBER 2020

Immigration Hub: “President-elect Biden’s commitment to rebuilding America’s asylum system is commendable and necessary.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to an exclusive interview (full exclusive in English) with the President-elect Joe Biden’s domestic policy council head, Susan Rice, and national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, who expressed Biden’s commitment to restoring the country’s asylum system, the following statement was issued by Kerri Talbot, the Immigration Hub’s Director of Federal Advocacy:

“While Republicans yet again insisted on funding for Trump’s border wall in Congress, President-elect Biden’s team stated their willingness to offer a new framework for humanitarian protections at the border as we recover from a global pandemic.

“During Trump’s term, we have witnessed family separations and the gutting of our nation’s asylum system. It is an understatement to say that America’s immigration system and relations with our neighbors to the south have been ruthlessly undermined. 

“In stark contrast, the president-elect’s plans to manage the border, rebuild the beacon of our asylum system, reunite families and work collaboratively and responsibly with the countries of the Northern Triangle are a necessary pillar to our nation’s healing and economic recovery. 

“We understand it will take time to put the pieces together and build a fair, humane and improved system to welcome refugees and asylum seekers while addressing the root causes of migration during our current public health crisis. We urge the new administration to rebuild the asylum system as quickly as possible to allow for asylum processing to occur inside the United States. We are committed to working with the incoming administration to ensure that a new vision for our nation’s border management is realized.”

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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.