Washington — In a court filing yesterday, the Biden administration reiterated its plan to issue a proposed rule that will block most people from seeking asylum at a U.S. border, as well as its intention to rush through the required “notice and comment” period. Partners of the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign, which is housed at the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), are outraged. Kimiko Hirota, policy advisor of the Migrant Rights and Justice program at WRC, reacted alongside partners within the campaign.

“Congress specifically wrote our laws to ensure that everyone–regardless of nationality, race or manner of entry–has a fair chance to seek safety in the U.S. The Biden administration must put the rights and dignity of asylum seekers first by finally getting rid of Trump-era bans, not resurrecting them,” Hirota said. “The courts already found that the previous transit ban violated U.S. asylum laws, including because supposed ‘safe’ transit countries like Mexico are in fact not safe for many migrants and people seeking asylum. Tragically, we know that thousands of asylum seekers have experienced violent assault, rape, and other attacks in Mexico. It is imperative that the Biden administration upholds the law and ensures that no one is returned back to places where they face persecution or torture.”

Read the response to the court filing from all #WelcomeWithDignity partners.

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To learn more about WRC’s work on asylum, view our asylum, legal, and human rights page.