Washington, DC—In response to President Biden’s remarks today on new restrictive U.S. border policies, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) President Wendy Young issued the following statement:
“KIND is deeply disappointed that the Biden Administration is once again limiting desperate asylum seekers’ access to humanitarian protection at the border. While we applaud the creation of a new pathway for entry to the United States for a limited number of people and the call for more resources at the border to humanely process protection claims, today’s announcement is out of step with the dire circumstances faced by those fleeing danger. We have seen time and time again how these policies separate families, thus rendering children unaccompanied and putting them in peril. It is imperative this Administration recognize this reality and allow people to present for protection at the U.S. southern border.
“The Administration’s announcement that it intends to issue a ‘transit ban’ regulation also raises profound concerns. A rule that could potentially preclude unaccompanied children who were unable request humanitarian protection in third countries through which they travelled enroute to the United States would gut critical protections for unaccompanied children by barring the overwhelming share of children from accessing protection – all in contravention of U.S. asylum law and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). KIND calls on the Administration to end any consideration of such rulemaking and instead focus on solutions for ensuring orderly and humane border reception that are consistent with our legal and moral obligations.”
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990