Listen to our Executive Director on MSNBC
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MSNBC speaks with Migrant Center Executive Director Sara Ramey about the current challenges of processing cases at the border.
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Join Us in Calling on Congress to Require that the Administration Process Asylum Cases
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As your constituent, I am calling on you to urge you to immediately require that the Executive process all cases at our border in an orderly and safe manner. As you are aware, the previous Administration closed the border to all asylum seekers on the false premise that doing so is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even to those who test negative. Over the objections of public health experts, under Title 42 and Operation Capio, the United States has refused entry to over 317,000 immigrants just in the first part of FY 2021, many of them fleeing for their lives and seeking safety in the only country they believe will help them. This policy is unnecessarily driving asylum seekers to cross the border between ports and has already had tragic and preventable consequences that will only continue until expulsions end.
I am writing you today to ensure that the U.S. is not violating our laws or treaty obligations to process asylum claims. We are a developed country perfectly capable of processing cases in a safe and orderly way. This should include requiring a COVID-negative test for entry – including proper quarantining until the results come back – and quarantining anyone who tests positive until they are no longer contagious.
I hereby call on you to ensure without further delay that Title 42 is not misused to violate our non-refoulement humanitarian obligations under domestic and international law. Without action, we will continue to witness the disappearance of refugee protections that have long been accepted as a key part of who we are as a nation. Thank you for your time and attention to addressing this important matter.
Sign the letter here: Process All Cases at the Border with Appropriate Testing and Quarantine
Then...
Tell President Biden you want the U.S. to Process All Cases at the Border
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Biden Reopens Deadline to Submit a Public Comment on Trump's Proposed Regulatory Change Eliminating Asylum for those Traveling from a Country with COVID-19
USCIS and EOIR delayed the effective date of the December 23, 2020 final rule "Security Bars and Processing" until December 31, 2021 and is seeking public comment on whether the rule should be revised or revoked, with comments due April 21 at 11:59 EST. See below for tips on how to submit a public comment.
On July 9, 2020 DHS and DOJ issued a Proposed Rule to unnecessarily and illegally eliminate protection in the U.S. for all refugees who have traveled through a country that has a contagious disease of national significance. This Proposed Rule runs contrary not only to our fundamental American value of providing a safe haven to refugees fleeing persecution, and our laws that codify our values, but the Proposed Rule provides little benefit to the American people as there are reasonable, cost-effective safe testing and quarantine measures that can protect us from contagious diseases without taking away safety from those desperately in need.
Additionally, the Proposed Rule will subject vulnerable asylum seekers to impermissibly vague, overbroad, and unlawful standards with virtually no due process protections, while simultaneously doing nothing to protect the American people. We oppose these proposed changes because they would deny most asylum seekers meaningful access to counsel, their right to respond to the charges against them and present evidence on their behalf, and any access to judicial review.
Accordingly, we are urging the Administration to withdraw the Proposed Rule in its entirety and instead dedicate efforts – and our taxpayer dollars – to advancing policies that respect individuals’ legal right to seek asylum. In response to this unlawful proposal, the Migrant Center submitted a Public Comment to the Administration explaining the reasons why this Proposed Rule should be immediately withdrawn and why it is necessary to consider reasonable alternatives.
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Get Congress to Act on Other Important Issues:
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INCREASE YOUR IMPACT
Want to do more? Share these sign-on opportunities with others in your community. Thank you for inviting them to add their voices to the call for justice!
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Send a Message to President Biden:
EXECUTIVE ACTIONS THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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Looking for an Overview of Immigration Law and Policy?
Check out our Podcasts:
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Topics: DACA / DAPA / Dream Act, Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), Citizenship and the Census, 3 and 10 year Bars, Crime Victims: U-Visas, Health Care Ban, Public Charge, Case Processing, Welcoming Immigrants, Muslim Travel Bans, Work Permits
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Topics: Raids and Safe Spaces: hospital and courthouse arrests, Church Sanctuary and Six-Figure Fugitive Fines, Detainers, Secure Communities and 287(g) Programs, Sanctuary Jurisdictions, Alternatives to Detention: conditional parole, De-Privatize Detention, Bed Quota
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Topics: Medical Concerns, COVID-19 and Release, Arbitrary Factors that Prevent Release: language and community ties, Bond Hearing Eligibility, Mandatory Detention and Prolonged Detention, ICE Release Discretion: consistency, transparency, and accountability, Burden of Proof on Danger to Community and Flight Risk, Access to Evidence and Legal Representation, Expedited Removal, Prosecutorial Discretion
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Topics: Travel Ban, Turnback Policy: Quotes and Waitlist (Metering), MPP / Remain in Mexico, Operation Capio and Title 42, PACR/HARP, CBP Accountability, Humanitarian Protection and Humane Treatment, Wall / Border Enforcement and Biometrics Data Collection, Federal Prosecutions, Family Separation
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Join Our Team in Making A Difference
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In 2020 the Migrant Center worked with 321 immigrants from 36 different countries. Join our team in making 2021 even better. We are hiring for two positions, a college intern Community Engagement Fellow and a part-time paralegal. Please share these announcements widely to help us find the best candidate. The positions are open until filled so we encourage early applications. Other opportunities, for volunteer positions, can be found here.
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Support the Migrant Center's Work
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Become a Monthly Donor
With your sustained support, at whatever level, you give us the operational security to anticipate how many cases we will be able to take on in the coming months, allowing us to commit earlier on to helping more people on our waitlist. Join our community of monthly donors.
Host a Facebook Fundraiser
Create a message to your friends and add a donate button for the Migrant Center. See our Facebook page.
Share the Message
Sharing your reason for giving is one meaningful way to inspire others. Forward this e-mail and/or post to your social media. Thank you for sharing!
Honor a Loved One
Consider making a gift in honor of a loved one. After you make your donation, forward your receipt to us at admin@migrantcenter.org with your loved one's address and we will send them a handwritten gift card (we can also mail this to you if you prefer).
Form a Sponsorship Team
Reach out to your community of family, friends, faith colleagues, etc. to partner as legal sponsors on a case. Make a group donation or contact us at admin@migrantcenter.org for details on cases that are seeking sponsorship to cover legal fees.
Give Directly from Your IRA
If you are 60 or over you can make a gift directly from your IRA.
Donate on Amazon
Spending holiday gift cards? Amazon Smile will donate .5% of any purchase you make to the Migrant Center. View our Amazon purchase page.
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| TIPS ON SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS |
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Under the Administrative Procedures Act, the Administration must give the public, including those who may potentially be affected by a proposed legal change, the opportunity to comment on any new regulation that is being considered, and must take into account all comments provided that raise a “material” issue. 8 U.S.C. § 553(c); Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 435 U.S. 519, 553–54 (1978).
When you prepare your public comment we encourage you to personalize your comment because each discrete comment must be considered independently, which extends the review of a proposed change. Administrative agencies detect duplicate comments and will not evaluate your contribution if it is not clearly personalized. Additionally, comments must be specific enough to provide the agency with meaningful notice of the issue(s) you are seeking to raise, and in order for any subsequent litigation to happen on that issue if the agency does not fully take it into account. U.S. Dep't of Transp. v. Public Citizen, 541 U.S. 752, 764 (2004). For these reasons, it is critical that you do NOT merely copy and submit a template. We also strongly encourage you to explain how the Proposed Rule would affect you should it become law, such as how living in a country that has a fair judicial process is important to you.
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We work to ensure that all immigrants facing removal from the U.S. understand their rights under the law, know how to navigate the immigration process, have access to legal services, and are treated fairly and humanely.
Stay up to date on the latest news by liking our Facebook Page or visiting us at https://migrantcenter.org.
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