Proposals for Dreamers Must Not Be Linked to Policies Gutting Asylum, HIAS Says

SILVER SPRING, Md. — HIAS is raising concerns about emerging details of a bipartisan proposal in Congress that would grant protection to Dreamers, while at the same time introducing — or reintroducing — asylum policies that would have a significantly detrimental impact on the ability of people to seek protection in the United States.

“As a Jewish organization that has worked for more than a century to welcome and protect people seeking safety in the United States, HIAS supports any meaningful progress on finally getting Dreamer legislation across the finish line. This is long overdue,” said HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield. “However, we are deeply concerned that these negotiations not be tied to provisions that would further gut protections for asylum seekers at the border. Congress should not, under any circumstances, link citizenship opportunities for one group to denying access to asylum for others.”

Media reports indicate that provisions under consideration include an extension of Title 42, even though federal courts recently mandated that the administration terminate the policy; the establishment of processing centers at the border run by Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and, even the possible resurrection of third country transit bans that would deny access to the U.S. asylum system for people who traveled through another country (or countries) on their way to the United States — a policy that has already been blocked in the courts.

Hetfield continued, “Congress must advance negotiations that will result in protection for people who arrived in this country as children, while also standing strong against any legislation that diminishes access to humane, efficient and legal procedures for those fleeing persecution. It is possible to do both, and we urge Congress to get it done now.”

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