27 ARP 2023

Immigration Hub Statement on Biden Administration’s “New Actions to Manage Regional Migration” 

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Biden Administration announced plans to expand refugee processing in Latin America, create new parole programs for Central America and expand the use of expedited removal for those who apply for asylum at the U.S. southern border. The following is a statement by Kerri Talbot, Deputy Director of the Immigration Hub.

“We support and commend the Administration’s use of expanded legal pathways for those seeking freedom, safety, family and opportunity in America. The use of refugee admissions, humanitarian parole and family reunification enables refugees and migrants to apply for admission through an orderly system. Properly executed and fully implemented, this is an essential component of a workable system to respond to the hemisphere’s forced migration challenges.

“However, widened legal pathways should be used to complement a fair and efficient asylum processing system in the U.S., not to replace it. We do not support the Administration’s stated plan to roll out a transit ban – a controversial and unlawful rule that requires those seeking asylum to apply first in transit countries – that will serve as a ban on asylum. Asylum is a legal and moral requirement to protect refugees, and asylum seekers should have access to fair processes and legal counsel. Who gets protected and who does not under our asylum system can be a matter of life and death. Efficiency without fairness threatens to deport those whose lives will be endangered and harmed upon return.

“The most glaring omission from today’s announcement has to do with Temporary Protected Status for nationals from destabilized, repressive and violent countries in the Americas. By extending and expanding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to those settled and working in America, our nation protects those unable to return to home countries, stabilizes mixed-status families settled in America threatened with family separation, and addresses our workforce needs in light of growing labor shortages. Doing so is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. That is why Americans strongly support TPS. 

“With the GOP more interested in playing politics than in forging bipartisan reform, it falls to the Administration to use its authority to manage migration humanely. Having promised a balanced approach to our  challenges, TPS is an indispensable tool that should have been included today, and must be expanded in the near future.” 

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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.