WASHINGTON, D.C. – It has been reported that in negotiations on a supplemental funding bill, the Biden administration is considering extreme immigration policy changes, including nationwide expedited removal and a transit ban that would restrict access to asylum in exchange for foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. In a speech yesterday, President Biden stated he is willing to make “significant compromises on the border” in these negotiations. Not only would this cruel tradeoff have a devastating impact on people in need of protection and immigrant communities throughout the country, but it would set an extremely dangerous precedent.

“It is an absolute betrayal that the Biden administration, who campaigned on pro-immigrant values, is considering these extreme anti-immigrant proposals that fly in the face of our nation’s values of welcome and our internationally-recognized legal commitments to asylum seekers,” said Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). “We’ve all heard it said that “a budget is a moral document” – and the budget of the federal government should be held to the highest moral standards. The safety and well-being of immigrant and asylum-seeking communities must not be bargained away in this spending package. We urge Congress and the Biden administration to pursue solutions that improve the existing asylum process and prioritize all communities’ safety.”

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org