The Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund recently submitted a public comment on the proposed asylum ban. Our full comment can be read below.
The Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund seeks a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat. We are expressing our concern because we believe that the proposed asylum ban would deny many refugees from the protections they seek in the United States.
The proposed asylum ban will lead to the return of asylum seekers to the harm and violence they were fleeing from. It will disproportionately harm Black, Brown, and Indigenous asylum seekers requesting safety at the U.S. southern border – who often cannot afford or access a visa to arrive in the U.S. by plane and instead trek across multiple countries to arrive at the border. Increased rates of denial for asylum will also place many Indigenous women and girls in danger at heightened risk for sex and human trafficking.
Our U.S. laws and treaties protect asylum seekers and prohibit their return to persecution and torture. Our laws also explicitly guard an asylum seeker’s right to seek protection regardless of how they arrive in the United States. Individuals should be able to access our asylum system regardless of how they enter, as has been the law for decades. They should not be forced to seek asylum in transit to the United States, especially not in countries where they may also face harm.
Thank you for your consideration of our points,
Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund
The public comment period is open until March 27th. You can add your comment here.
