Washington, DC – In response to news that Biden plans to issue an executive order to dramatically limit the number of asylum-seekers who can cross the southern border, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement:
“Biden continues to send a clear and dangerous message that he sees immigrant and refugee lives as expendable by enacting a racist and immoral agenda on immigration. Despite his numerous promises to establish a ‘fair and humane’ immigration system, Biden is rapidly moving to the right on immigration. Last month, Biden signed a spending bill that provides the highest appropriated amount for detention and surveillance in ICE’s history. Now he’s threatening to significantly restrict access to asylum. It’s true, we need a dramatic step – to welcome all immigrants with dignity and respect, including people seeking asylum, everyone deserves the right to seek safety. But instead, Biden continues to move in the wrong direction, playing political games with people’s lives. We join immigrants and communities across the country in condemning Biden for continuing to treat immigrants as expendable and legitimizing the far-right's fear mongering and racist agenda.”
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Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition building power through collective advocacy, grassroots organizing, and strategic communications to abolish immigration detention in the United States.