The US Must Rebuild the Asylum System, Not Destroy It Further

Congress and the Biden administration need to defend the rights of children and families seeking protection at our borders

Over the past few months, arrivals of children and families seeking protection at the US southern border have once again increased, resulting in misguided calls for aggressive, ineffective deterrence tactics that both Congress and the Biden administration must reject. Children and adults escaping violence face a system that has long been stacked against them and that was decimated under the last administration.

This document outlines WRC’s recommendations for Congress as the organization calls on Congress to urgently consider legalization and protection for millions of members of US communities, while also staunchly defending the rights of children, families, and adults who are legally seeking protection at our borders. No immigration law or policy should ever trade the lives of one group of vulnerable individuals for another. WRC also urges the Biden administration to continue to undo the harmful policies of the previous four years, and to establish the United States as a global leader in protecting those seeking safety.