FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2023
CONTACT: Alicia Vargas
213.653-1442
WASHINGTON – As reported by current news outlets, congressional negotiations on a supplemental funding bill have focused on include passing the most restrictive anti-immigrant policies in centuries in exchange for one-time foreign aid.
In a speech yesterday, President Biden stated that he is considering to make “significant compromises on the border,” in negotiations including implementing a more restrictive credible fear standard, incorporating a transit ban, restricting access to asylum, and expanding expedited removal nationwide.
These extreme changes are reminiscent of Trump era policies that Democrats and President Biden had long rejected as against our nation’s values. This massively cruel tradeoff would cut existing legal immigration pathways and set an extremely dangerous precedent. These extreme changes are reminiscent of Trump-era policies that both Democrats and President Biden had long rejected as going against our nation’s values.
“Trading the dignity and safety of asylum seekers in exchange for one-time foreign aid would be absolutely disastrous. The rumored policy changes would annihilate asylum protections and have a devastating impact on people seeking safety and refuge. As an organization working on both sides of the U.S.-México border, we know well the horrific consequences of policies like these. Human lives hang in the balance as lawmakers decide whether this country will live up to our ideals or turn our back on the most vulnerable," said Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder and executive director of Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef).
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Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends immigrant communities against injustices in the legal system. Our programs are a first step towards the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. We envision a future where no immigrant will be forced to face immigration court alone. ImmDef is now the largest non‐profit, pro bono provider of deportation legal defense in California, with offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego.