Refugee Congress Alarmed by Reports of a Return to Family Detention Policies
Refugee Congress Alarmed by Reports of a Return to Family Detention Policies
For Immediate Release: March 7, 2023
Refugee Congress is deeply disturbed by reports that the Biden administration is considering a resumption of detaining families who are seeking asylum, only two years after ending this harmful practice. This report comes on the heels of the administration’s decision to implement an asylum ban, which would bar vulnerable migrants from accessing safety at US borders if they have not already sought and been denied asylum in another country on their journey.
These practices were flagship policies of the Trump administration, intended to prevent asylum-seekers from their right to seek protection in the US, and are in direct contradiction to the President’s campaign promises “ to immediately end Trump's assault on the dignity of immigrant communities,” and “restore our moral standing in the world and our historic role as a safe haven for refugees and asylum-seekers.”
Asylum seekers are fleeing dangerous and oppressive situations in their home countries, and denying them entry or subjecting them to harsh treatment goes against the humanitarian values that the US has traditionally espoused. The US has a responsibility to protect and assist those seeking refuge from persecution, violence, and other forms of harm.
"Reinstating detention of migrant families is a huge mistake, and we hope that the Biden administration will reconsider this decision. Detaining families means America is turning their backs on the most vulnerable people on US soil. This is yet another proposed policy in a series of recent policies that would inflict serious harm on asylum seekers and the US has legal obligations under international and domestic law to provide all asylum-seekers the right to seek safety," said Lourena Gboeah, Chair, Refugee Congress Board of Directors.
“We keep going in circles. The practice of family detention is cruel, unnecessary, and runs counter to our values as a nation of welcome, and as humanitarian leaders in the global community. Enough is enough. We are asking the Biden administration to recommit itself to the promises that they made, and refrain from implementing any further attempts to stymy access to seeking asylum,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director of Refugee Congress.
"The United States has historically been seen as a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life. Turning to more restrictive measures could damage the country's international reputation and undermine its influence on the world stage,” said Paul Mwingwa, Refugee Congress Delegate for Montana.
“The resumption of family detention policies, besides being unlawful and unfair, would be a heartless policy that will re-victimize entire families forever,” said Carmen Kcomt, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate, California.
“Caging families was an inhumane response to migration when the Trump and Obama administrations did it, and is an inhumane response if the Biden administration revives it,” said Basma Alawee, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate, Florida. “We are beyond mortified that the same Biden administration that once condemned family detention is now hypocritically, actively considering it. We urge the administration to not go full Trump in detaining families and banning asylum, and instead seek humane and sustainable solutions that recognize the dignity of families exercising their international human right to seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian relief.”
“Despite past mistakes of exclusion and detention, we seem to have not learned our lessons as a country. The election of a new administration in 2020 was a call for more humane and community-based solutions. It is my sincere hope that this administration will prioritize nurturing such solutions moving forward,” said Som Subedi, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate, Oregon.
“In President Biden’s ‘The Biden Plan for Securing Our Values as a Nation of Immigrants’ he states that “unless your ancestors were native to these shores, or forcibly enslaved and brought here as part of our original sin as a nation, most Americans can trace their family history back to a choice–a choice to leave behind everything that was familiar in search of new opportunities and a new life. The United States deserves an immigration policy that reflects our highest values as a nation.” The use of family detention would run counter to his beliefs of the nation’s values and advance the inhumane policy of the last administration. We must condemn any policies that obstruct families and children from seeking safety,” said Nga Vương-Sandoval, Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate, Colorado.
Instead of resurrecting harmful policies of the recent past, the Biden administration must commit to investing in sustainable welcoming approaches to asylum seekers fleeing authoritarian governments.
Refugee Congress strongly urges the administration to reverse course and immediately halt any planned policy to reinstate family detention practices.
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Refugee Congress is a nonpartisan advocacy organization built and led by former refugees, asylum-seekers and other vulnerable migrants to promote the well-being, integration and dignity of all vulnerable migrants. With delegates across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we use our voices and experiences to inform and influence decision-makers on critical domestic and international issues that affect our communities.
MEDIA CONTACT: (202) 905-6238, media@refugeecongress.org
