Statement by Michelle Brané, Director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program

The Obama Administration continues to treat families fleeing violence as lawbreakers who deserve punishment. Rounding up women and their children who may never have understood their rights or the asylum process, or had access to a lawyer, betrays American values.

Secretary Johnson made clear today that the Administration is committed to a policy of border enforcement and deportation, rather than the protection of those persecuted by violence.

It is not illegal to cross international borders seeking safety. This is true of both international law and U.S. law. Rather than treating Central American refugees as a problem, our policies should reflect the traditional leadership we, as a country, have traditionally displayed when those who fear for their lives look to the U.S. for protection.