top of page

Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Sue Trump Administration Over Efforts to Completely Shut Down Asylum at the Border  

  • digital7077
  • Feb 3
  • 5 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Texas Civil Rights Project, media@texascivilrightsproject.org Inga Sarda-Sorensen, ACLU, 347-514-3984, isarda-sorensen@aclu.org Tara Tidwell Cullen, NIJC, 312-833-2967, TTidwellCullen@immigrantjustice.org Brianna Krong, CGRS, 415-581-8835, krongbrianna@uclawsf.edu Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, media@las-americas.org Faisal Al-Juburi, RAICES, media@raicestexas.org ACLU of Texas, media@aclutx.org 

Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Sue Trump Administration Over Efforts to Completely Shut Down Asylum at the Border  

Trump’s proclamation is unlawful and unprecedented 

WASHINGTON — Immigrants’ rights advocates sued the Trump administration today over the president’s recent proclamation aimed at completely shutting down asylum at the border, a move that puts thousands of lives at risk. 


 


The American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigrant Justice Center, Texas Civil Rights Project, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), ACLU of the District of Columbia, and ACLU of Texas filed the federal lawsuit on behalf of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), and the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which provide legal services to people seeking asylum but would be unable to do so under this proclamation. 


 


Under the “212(f)” proclamation, which falsely cites an “invasion” as justification to deny asylum protections expressly granted by Congress, families and individuals face return to countries where they are at grave risk of persecution with no recourse. 


 


Trump’s action ignores protections put in place by Congress and backed by the courts for generations that ensure people have a chance to have their asylum claims heard. This proclamation also differs from Trump’s previous attempts to shut off asylum in his first administration because the recent move leaves no avenue open for people to seek asylum, even if they present themselves at a port of entry. 


 


“This is an unprecedented power grab that will put countless lives in danger,” said Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “No president has the authority to unilaterally override the protections Congress has afforded those fleeing danger.” 


 


This is the latest flagrantly illegal attempt by the executive branch to end humanitarian protection at the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Richard Caldarone, senior litigation attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “The immigration laws do not give the president autocratic power to override Congress and brazenly violate U.S. treaty obligations related to the protection of refugees. This latest attempt to do so will make thousands of people vulnerable to persecution, torture, and death, and we will not stop fighting until all those who require protection have the opportunity guaranteed by U.S. law to seek asylum in this country.” 


 


President Trump’s directive to suspend asylum entirely is extreme, unjust, and a disservice to families seeking safety at our southern border. Denying migrants and displaced individuals from the opportunity to find safety undermines our nation’s values and creates additional strain on our already burdened border communities. Our lawsuit underscores the unlawful nature of this policy and emphasizes the need to protect asylum seekers’ rights. The U.S. should lead by example in implementing fair immigration practices and treating the most vulnerable with dignity,” said Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project. 


 


Once again, the Trump administration wants to eliminate the ability of families to seek safety in our country in the form of asylum, a legal pathway. Regardless of any person's individual beliefs on immigration, any government attempt to blatantly violate our laws is a serious issue impacting all communities across the country. Spreading falsehoods about an ‘invasion’ at our border only fuels fear, aiming to dismantle the entire asylum process and weaponize our immigration laws. At Las Americas, we take our role of welcoming seriously and are committed to protecting it. We will not stand idly by as our immigration laws are manipulated,” said Jennifer Babaie, director of advocacy and legal services of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. 


 


“The Florence Project is committed to serving people who are coming to the United States in need of protection, but President Trump’s proclamation making asylum unavailable makes our work much more difficult, and in some instances virtually impossible,” said Laura St. John, the legal director for the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project. “The Florence Project is proud to challenge this unprecedented and illegal overreach, so that our present and future clients who are in need of protection in this country may have an opportunity to seek that relief.” 


 


“Just as he did in his first term, the president is attempting to rewrite our laws by executive fiat and impose an illegal policy of mass expulsions,” said Melissa Crow, director of litigation at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS). “This time around, his administration has fully embraced racist conspiracy theories, declaring that families, children, and adults seeking safety somehow constitute a hostile ‘invasion.’ The administration cannot use this lie as justification to circumvent our laws, which allow people in the United States or arriving at the southern border to seek asylum and prohibit our government from returning refugees to countries where they face persecution or torture.” 


 


“The Trump administration is true to its original form and using racist pretext as a means to further the president’s cowardly xenophobic agenda. In President Trump and Stephen Miller’s dystopian vision for the U.S., no one is safe from the devastating wreckage of their cruelty, and it’s the American people who stand to suffer the most if we do not intervene in opposition to such incendiary and isolationist policies,” said Javier Hidalgo, legal director at RAICES. “At RAICES, we maintain that checks on abuse of power are an essential function of our judicial branch, and we promise to use every legal tool to hold this administration accountable for fulfilling our nation’s commitments to asylum and refugee protections.” 


 


“The United States has long served as a refuge for people fleeing persecution abroad, as we declare proudly on the Statue of Liberty,” said Scott Michelman, legal director at the ACLU of the District of Columbia. “Trump’s attempted border shutdown is an affront to our history and our values, and it will impose incalculable suffering on refugees fleeing for their lives.” 


 


The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. 


  


The complaint can be found online here


This press release can be found online here

###

About Texas Civil Rights Project

The Texas Civil Rights Project is boldly serving the movement for equality and justice in and out of the courts. We use our tools of litigation and legal advocacy to protect and advance the civil rights of everyone in Texas, and we partner with communities across the state to serve the rising movement for social justice. We undertake our work with a vision of a Texas in which all communities can thrive with dignity, justice and without fear.


Recent Posts

See All

14 Comments


rante
Aug 07

https://user.qoo-app.com/100819513

https://essbcn2030.decidim.barcelona/profiles/jaseasston

https://linqto.me/about/jaseaston

https://musics.to/70721iuCz0

https://www.istorya.net/forums/member.php?u=284110

https://www.digitalinfrastructure.ie/profile/prestigeraintreeepark17226/profile

https://hedgedoc.satoshishop.de/s/S4PaT-BrS

https://www.theworknplay.com/Blogs/Detail/Profile/6829

https://forums.ipoh.com.my/user-5479.html

https://www.compliancecalendar.in/jaseassstonn

http://www.kelleyjjackson.com/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/104/UserId/568268/Default.aspx

https://www.alphapublisher.com/profile/prestigeraintreeepark75699/profile

https://www.waivio.com/@waivio_jaseasston

https://www.the-ntg.org/profile/prestigeraintreeepark63962/profile

https://pad.hacc.space/s/PypzFm2-u

https://forum.immigrer.com/profile/223954-jaseasstonnn/

http://bbs.51pinzhi.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=6944455

https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/User-jaseasstonnn

https://cyberdefenseprofessionals.com/companies/prestige-raintree-park/

https://docs.payze.io/discuss/6883824eabb961096682d173

https://gitea.mpc-web.jp/jaseeastonnn

https://paidforarticles.in/author/jaseasstonnn

https://www.bivouak.net/membres/profile.php?id=16657&id_sport=65535

https://hackmd.hub.yt/s/rU4b3lt6f

https://crowdsourcer.io/profile/Wm6fVQVP

https://bbs.superbuy.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=709018&extra=

https://my.clickthecity.com/jaseassston

https://quelibroleo.com/usuarios/jaseasstonn

https://pinup.com/jtAHT06de

https://pad.public.cat/s/MsDxx_3Id

https://www.cmedia.com.tw/tw/forum/profile/2091

http://bbs.chinaacca.org/home.php?mod=space&uid=140502&do=profile

https://md.entropia.de/s/T3bSvBX0x

https://paidforarticles.in/author/jaseasston

https://www.tianmu.org.tw/userinfo.php?uid=84886

https://svetelektro.com/clenovia/jaseasstonn/

https://portal.stem.edu.gr/profile/jaseasstonnn/

Like

rante
Aug 07

https://getfoureyes.com/s/0O0qf/

https://forum.immigrer.com/profile/223871-jaseassstonnn/

https://hackmd.hub.yt/s/G1SivJzTy

https://md.inno3.fr/s/GwXgi7jTC

https://linkstack.lgbt/@jaseassstonn

https://www.findtheneedle.co.uk/companies/prestige-raintree-park/

https://lzdsxxb.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=4878243

https://pinup.com/dHZySgY7l

https://desksnear.me/users/jase-easton-67d199

https://yodayo.com/@jaseasstonn

https://md.entropia.de/s/gAI1v6kQY

http://www.bisound.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2512512#post2512512

https://www.ekademia.pl/@jaseeaston4

https://amdm.ru/users/jaseasstonn/

https://yoomark.com/users/jaseeasstonnn

https://www.inventoridigiochi.it/membri/jaseassstonn/profile/

https://kingschat.online/user/jaseasston

https://findnerd.com/profile/publicprofile/jaseasston/132272

https://international.projectwet.org/discussion/prestige-raintree-park

https://tv.sparktv.net/@jaseasston?page=about

https://md.fachschaften.org/s/xtToycMRI

https://joyrulez.com/jaseeasstonnn

https://www.poetrynook.com/user/jaseeasstonn

https://pad.public.cat/s/FBxmQFzlJ

https://www.cmedia.com.tw/tw/forum/profile/2091

https://desksnear.me/users/jase-easton-0b66b1

https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/member/152196-jaseeasstonnn

https://www.eftec.co.uk/profile/prestigeraintreeepark36649/profile

https://pad.interhop.org/s/_jmVI4pxx

https://wiki.ironrealms.com/Main/JaseEaston

https://publishwall.si/jaseeasstonn

https://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4245

https://enkling.com/jaseassston

https://www.elseptimoarte.net/foro/index.php?action=profile;u=23686

Like

rante
Aug 07

https://www.wielerflits.be/wielerforum/users/jaseasstonn/

https://amdm.ru/users/jaseastonn/

https://myanimeshelf.com/profile/jasaesston

https://egl.circlly.com/users/jaseasstonnn

https://md.inno3.fr/s/st1HPnAAS

https://linkbio.co/70731107XkcD9

http://onlineboxing.net/jforum/user/profile/392239.page

https://webscountry.com/author/jaseasstonnn-4696/

https://mastodon.de/@jaseasston

https://md.entropia.de/s/GwLTb1cEw

https://www.spatial.io/@jaseasstonn

https://www.designspiration.com/save/15838702288529693/

https://www.the-ntg.org/profile/prestigeraintreeeparkk42814/profile

https://jaseeaston.my.cam/#

https://md.fachschaften.org/s/EzhOOZbqU

https://tv.sparktv.net/@jaseaston?page=about

https://md.entropia.de/s/xBNp2lpG7

https://www.theconfessprojectofamerica.org/profile/prestigeraintreeeparkk99484/profile

https://www.permatheque.fr/members/jaseasstonnn/profile/

https://www.vsetutonline.com/forum/member.php?u=301664

http://heroescommunity.com/member.php3?action=viewprofile&UserName=jaseeasstonn

https://www.theworknplay.com/Blogs/Detail/Profile/6829

https://communaute.icotaku.com/profil/jaseasstonn.html

https://git.obo.cash/jaseasstonnn

https://www.twitch.tv/jaseasstonnn

https://speakerdeck.com/jaseasstonnn

https://docs.payze.io/discuss/6885d6aa8bb062c8a3c9cd77

http://git.7doc.com.cn/jaseasstonn

https://backup0014.win1.me/demo1/home.php?mod=space&uid=58980

http://forum.burek.com/p6759570/jaseasstonnn/

https://www.sunkenlandgame.com/profile/prestigeraintreeeparkk5163/profile

https://www.waivio.com/@waivio_jaseasstonnn

Like


rante
Aug 07

https://forum.jatekok.hu/User-chharrleswyyat

https://www.chillsubs.com/profile/birlaevarrraaaa

https://www.tkaraoke.com/forums/profile/birlaevarrraaaagmail-com/

https://www.kingmods.net/en/profile/chharleswyyattt

https://spaces.hightail.com/space/NBKnoEks0F

https://www.viki.com/collections/4122989l

http://phpbt.online.fr/profile.php?mode=view&uid=56110

https://wykop.pl/ludzie/chharrleswyayt

https://app.landr.com/network/users/ee041fd5-dd1a-45a6-8594-58909b176e4a-17525132

https://wemakeit.com/users/chharrleswyyat

https://participation.bordeaux.fr/profiles/chharlswyyat

https://discuss.ilw.com/member/98948-chharleswyyat

https://tv.sparktv.net/@chharleswyyatttt?page=about

https://www.easyuefi.com/forums/user-44483.html

https://writing.codidact.com/users/115508

https://www.live4cup.com/f-sp1488587-.html#p1488587

https://angelladydety.getbb.ru/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=56617

https://www.gabitos.com/Poulan_Pro_Manuals/template.php?nm=1752475420

https://www.phoronix.com/forums/member/126064-chharleswyyat/about

https://www.radiosega.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=14410

http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/cal.php?event_id=22568&board_id=611190&stage=1

https://yamcode.com/u/chharrleswyyat

https://paidforarticles.in/author/chharleswyyatt

http://forum.bokser.org/user-1381413.html

https://m.xtutti.com/user/profile/476290

https://hifi.slovanet.sk/bb/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13706

https://www.hugi.is/notendur/chharrlesswyat/

https://forum.fracturedmmo.com/user/chharrleswyyatt

https://www.siye.co.uk/siye/viewuser.php?uid=238820

https://golden-forum.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=193335

https://sustalks.com/chharrleswyyattt

https://www.cfbwz.com/space-uid-151109.html

https://songdew.com/chharlwyatt

https://www.tianmu.org.tw/userinfo.php?uid=84751

https://www.omnimaga.org/profile/charleswyyat/

https://sillysoft.net/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=17938

Like
bottom of page