Women's Refugee Commission Responds to President Obama's Immigration Announcement

President Obama has taken a decisive and courageous step forward in protecting millions of hardworking family members from being permanently separated from their loved ones. Today, we celebrate the president's leadership in addressing our broken immigration system that has for too long been inhumane, inefficient and out of step with America's core values.

The relief provided will keep millions of families together, but we must continue to be mindful of the many who are seeking asylum and protection and who will not benefit under this new program. There are thousands of families and children seeking protection from violence and persecution in Central America, who are being detained in contradiction with the basic human and due process rights embodied by today's action.

Ultimately, it is only Congress that can provide the long-term solution to fixing our immigration system, but until our leaders in Washington can reach across the aisle to enact enduring and systemic change, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure every mother and child isn't subject to the current inhumane and arbitrary family detention policy in place today, and that they receive the full extent of all available protections from any potential future harm and violence. These ongoing policies undermine and contradict the president's action to protect families today.