More Piecemeal Approaches, No Real Solutions

More Piecemeal Approaches, No Real Solutions

EL PASO, TEXAS— The Biden Administration has announced a new docket process to expeditiously remove single adults seeking asylum who recently arrived to the U.S. In response, Zoe Bowman, Supervising Attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and New Mexico, said:

"The Biden administration continues to make harmful policy changes that do not align with the actual needs of borderland communities and our asylum system. Solutions to the asylum backlog created by the government cannot come from forcing asylum seekers to go through a flawed process that makes it easier to deport people without access to legal counsel. Evidence shows that individuals in ICE detention with legal representation are more likely to succeed in their asylum claims. These piecemeal approaches, prioritizing hastiness, force asylum seekers to face undue barriers in obtaining representation due to a lack of time and resources. We must stop making policy by chasing the whims of public opinion and focus on approaches that serve the country’s interests and our humanitarian obligations in the long term.

This entails solutions that address the root causes, such as climate change, conflict, income inequality, and discrimination, that push people to flee their homes and leave their families behind. And it means orderly, safe, and dignified processing of asylum seekers upon arrival at the southern border, so they have what they need to live with dignity at their next destination.”

For a full list of solutions from a borderland perspective, visit here.

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Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing high-quality legal services to low-income immigrants. Since its founding in 1987, Las Americas has served close to 70,000 persons, with a strong focus on women, children, families, the LGBTQ community, and asylum seekers.