“The dangerous, deeply misguided two-year rule issued by the Biden administration yesterday would deny and punish vulnerable asylum-seekers who seek refuge in our country to escape violence and persecution at home. This near-total ban on seeking asylum at our southern border would effectively prevent countless moms and families from exercising their right to seek safety in the United States, forcing them into situations where their lives are at grave risk.

“Seeking asylum is a right protected by United States and international law. By denying asylum to those who fail to request it while traveling to our country and who are unable to notify border authorities of their request for asylum through a mobile app, the proposed rule creates barriers that will disparately harm people of color, people without financial resources, and families traveling together – and will be insurmountable to most. 

“It is long past time that Congress fix our long-broken immigration and asylum system. The Biden administration has a legal and moral obligation to protect the rights and safety of those seeking asylum and end, once and for all, the Trump administration’s cruel, racist anti-asylum policies. America’s moms want every asylum-seeker to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. As caring people we know that every child, regardless of where they come from, deserves to live in peace and free from danger. This new proposed rule would make that impossible. It should never be finalized.”