Washington, DC – Faith Leaders from across different traditions and members of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition denounce the Biden administration’s Final Rule to “Secure the Border,” which would solidify restrictions on asylum access at the U.S. southern border. The regulation is tied to the number of border encounters, which it is important to note, are decreasing. As the world faces the reality of increased displacement and forced migration arising from political persecution, violence, and environmental catastrophe, we have a moral obligation as the United States to be a world leader in seeking durable solutions for displacement as well as for providing humanitarian protection for those fleeing for their lives. As for our policies at the border, they should be humane and fair, remembering that every life is sacred and that every person deserves a fair assessment of their claim for protection.
As faith communities, we pray the Biden administration will stop its ongoing ban on asylum seekers and instead follow our commitment to U.S. laws, including the 1980 Refugee Act that allows individuals to seek asylum at any part of our borders.
Rev. Noel Andersen, National Field Director for Church World Service and Co-Chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, said: “These policies are already having real world impacts as migrant deaths in the desert climb and families wait in dangerous conditions as potential victims to cartels. Asylum is rooted in our faith tradition and is part of our calling to welcome people fleeing for their lives because they’re facing persecution or violence. Access to claim asylum is a human right guaranteed under U.S. law. We cannot allow the anti-immigrant politics of the time to negatively impact our policy making for years to come. Congregations and shelters across the country are stepping up to welcome people and are calling on their government to do the same.”
Dylan Corbett, Executive Director, Hope Border Institute, stated: “The latest restrictions on asylum processing at the border by the Biden-Harris administration demonstrate an alarming absence of moral compass. Factoring in the arrival of children to deny asylum processing to other vulnerable people is troubling. We call on the Biden-Harris administration to urgently reverse course by fully restoring access to asylum at our border and to acknowledge the lives and dreams of those we call neighbors at our US-Mexico border.”
Anna Gallagher, Executive Director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), stated: “These restrictions reflect a troubling departure from our moral duty to uphold the right to seek asylum and protect those seeking refuge. As Catholics, we are called to welcome the stranger and promote the dignity of every human being. These policies run counter to Catholic social teaching, which emphasizes concern for the vulnerable, as it leaves individuals and families at greater risk. We urge the Biden administration to reconsider this harmful course and embrace a framework that reflects our values of justice and compassion. Restoring access to asylum is essential to honor our commitment to welcoming and protecting those fleeing persecution.”
Kristyn Peck, CEO, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, stated: “The restrictions outlined in the recent final rule undermine the legal and human right to seek asylum. By lauding the success of early implementation of the order in cutting border encounters, the administration is effectively dismissing its moral and legal responsibility to provide a safe haven for those fleeing life or death situations. The asylum system is in need of reform, but the answers are not to deny the dignity and right of individuals to seek safety at our doorstep.”
Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, stated: “The Biden administration’s Final Rule to ‘Secure the Border’ deepens our disappointment in these continuing restrictions on access to asylum at our southern border. To see the U.S. pull back from the rights enshrined in our national and international law for asylum seekers is profoundly frustrating. To see our leaders in high office entrench the practice of limiting and tying the number of immigrants reaching the border in a specific period to the way our government conducts its welcome and asylum procedures is a bitter policy outcome—especially for those fleeing violence and persecution. We think it is an economically shortsighted approach. We view it as morally questionable and objectionable. We fear it is a rejection of the self-evident truths that all men are created equal and that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights. President Biden and Congress should implement and fully fund policies and procedures that permit the U.S. to fairly and efficiently process people seeking asylum instead of severely limiting access to asylum at the border. A fair and efficient immigration system would allow the U.S. to help more asylum seekers, grow our economy, and uphold our best American values.”
Fran Eskin-Royer, Executive Director, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, stated: “People fleeing violence or persecution cannot be diminished to numbers to be dismissed when they exceed a threshold. Seeking asylum is a human and legal right, and welcoming is our moral responsibility. We must rise to the occasion, focusing on our shared sacred humanity, not administer a demoralizing rule.”
Rev. Carlos S. Reyes Rodríguez, Culture & Outreach Manager, Immigration Law & Justice Network, stated: “The Biden Administration’s recent decision to strengthen restrictions on access to asylum once again betrays the commitment to all who are fleeing persecution, violence, and threats to their lives. This decision not only ignores international laws that protect the human right to find safety at any point along the U.S. border but also distances us from honoring the inherent dignity of all individuals. The ILJ Network joins the collective call from multiple faith-based organizations demanding that the Biden Administration stop implementing policies like these, which only result in more human suffering. Instead, we urge a change in direction and a recommitment to building an asylum system that, in solidarity, upholds values such as justice and compassion, and centers on the needs of people seeking asylum and refuge.”
Eileen DeGuire, Organizing and Legislative Associate at Franciscan Action Network, stated: “As Catholics and Franciscans, we are called to care for all creation and protect the dignity of all humans. Jesus taught that his followers must welcome the stranger, and Francis of Assisi called his followers to be peacemakers in our personal lives and in society. While the Biden administration has taken some admirable steps towards better welcoming and protecting immigrants, actions such as this Final Rule make it much harder for them and violate many of the basic rights of those looking for safety through asylum in the United States. Additionally, as a country, we have been privileged to benefit from the contributions of many refugees and migrants in all parts of life, so we ought to be facilitating rather than hindering their access to the United States.”
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of over 56 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants. Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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