NPNA Urges the Biden Administration to Fully Restore the U.S. Asylum System

WASHINGTON - President Biden announced new measures to increase the use of expedited removal and establish a parole process for Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba. In response, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), a leading network of 60 immigrant rights organizations across 40 states, calls on the Biden administration to fully restore the asylum system, work with Congress to pass bipartisan immigration reform, build welcoming infrastructure, and make significant investments to support governments and non-governmental organizations who are welcoming newcomers to our communities. The following statement is attributed to Nicole Melaku, NPNA’s executive director: “Asylum is a legal right, and providing special access to a certain number of people from certain countries undermines the asylum system for people of low means to go through the parole process and excludes other asylum seekers from reaching the safety they so desperately seek. The right to seek asylum by presenting oneself at the border is part of international law, and should not depend on one’s ability to find their way by other means. While stopgap measures like humanitarian parole and sponsorship offer temporary reprieve to some, we cannot ignore the urgency of pushing for larger reforms that will meet future flows of migrants driven by political crisis and impending climate change. We urge the Biden administration to return to its commitment to the rule of law and protect all individuals seeking safety in the U.S.” ###