February 22, 2023
Contact : Bethelhem T. Negash
bethelhem@undocublack.org
(Washington DC) – Yesterday, the Biden administration proposed banning asylum seekers from the United States if they did not first seek protection in countries they traveled through during their journey to the U.S. This proposed ban on asylum at the border, comes just days after President Biden spoke about the importance of welcoming refugees and asylum seekers during a surprise visit to Ukraine and Poland. The Biden administration’s blatant attack on the rights of non-white asylum seekers does not come as a surprise. Despite campaign promises of prioritizing racial equity, the Administration has followed, and in some ways surpassed the course of its predecessor, when it comes to immigration policies that disproportionately harm Black migrants. A previous version of Biden's ban was proposed by the Trump administration and subsequently struck down by a federal court. The UndocuBlack Network condemns this asylum ban and all policies aimed at blocking the ability of Black migrants to access their international human right to seek safety in the United States.
Haddy Gassama, Policy and Advocacy Director of the UndocuBlack Network said “ The Biden administration's proposed asylum ban, confirms what many Black immigrant organizations have highlighted in the last few years. Immigration is a Black issue and Biden’s actions have shown that in spite of his campaign promises of an administration that would prioritize racial equity, he does not care about Black immigrants. The hypocrisy of yesterday’s announcement coming within days of Biden applauding international efforts to welcome Ukrainian migrants fleeing danger is not lost on us. This Administration opened Black History Month with the deportation of Haitian migrants and they are closing out the month by doubling down on Trump's failed asylum ban efforts. For Black immigrant communities, there has been little to no distinction between the Trump and the Biden administration. New administration, same anti-Blackness.”
