CGRS Joins 154 Organizations Opposing Anti-Asylum Bill

Today the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) joined 154 organizations in a letter expressing strong opposition to S. 1494, the Secure and Protect Act of 2019, which the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to mark up tomorrow. Introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham earlier this year, S. 1494 would effectively dismantle the U.S. asylum system and punish those who turn to us for safe haven, slamming the door on the vast majority of asylum seekers arriving at our southern border and eviscerating baseline protections for refugee children and families.

In anticipation of tomorrow’s markup, CGRS Gender Asylum Campaign Director Kate Jastram issued the following comment:

“Senator Graham’s bill seeks to codify some of the worst of the Trump Administration’s asylum policies, many of which have been rightly enjoined by the courts. Many of the bill’s provisions constitute egregious violations of both U.S. and international law, including the bar to asylum imposed on those who enter between official ports of entry, as well as the effective elimination of asylum for Central Americans, who under S.1494 would be forced to apply for protection through extremely limited refugee processing programs in a region plagued by widespread violence. These provisions, and many others, would put the lives of refugee women, children, and families at great risk. We urge all members of the Committee to vote no.”